The Magical Chronicles: Power of Shinobi
by cottoncandyinyourface
Summary: Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura are sent on a mission to protect Harry Potter in a world where fistfights were out, and wand-waving was in. .SasuSaku. HpxNaruto
1. The Mission: Harry Potter

**Author's Note**: There! I managed to type out a Naruto and Harry Potter Xover fic! I'm so proud of myself... Anywho, this chapter will be very short because I just want to see how many reviews I get and what people think of this story. Sorta like a test-drive. It's just another typical Naruto and Harry Potter crossover. But, I dunno, maybe some of you guys out there might like it. I might add Neji in. I'm a freaking fan girl of his. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy the story!

_EDITTED (3.10.08): THERE'S THE RE-WRITTEN VERSION IN THE 20TH CHAPTER!! Read the 19th chapter for more info. -.-_

_EDITTED (19.10.08): THE EDITED VERSION IS UP AS A COMPLETELY NEW STORY ENTITLED 'One's a Wizard, Two's a Ninja'. CHECK IT OUT ON MY PROFILE PAGE. THANK YOU! Read the 21st chapter._

* * *

"Come ON Naruto! OPEN UP!!" Sakura hollered, banging her fists onto the door of the blonde kitsune's apartment.

"Get your retarded ass out here, dobe!" Sasuke added, banging on the door too. Only his fists weren't making huge dents on it. There was some noisy shuffling and thudding on the other side of the door before it was practically torn off its hinges by a fuming Naruto. He was holding a cup of instant ramen in one hand while the other held the door knob. Strands of ramen dangled from his mouth. His bright cerulean eyes were narrowed to slits at the Uchiha boy. He clearly didn't notice his pink-haired crush there.

"_What_?!" he spat, bits of ramen flying from his mouth to the raven-haired boy's face.

"Dobe, that's gross…" Sasuke said disgustedly as he wiped the ramen from his face and glowered at Naruto. The Yondaime look-a-like twitched and opened his mouth for a retort.

"QUIET!!" Sakura screamed, a pissed expression on her face as she crossed her arms and tapped her foot angrily. The angry look on Naruto's face quickly slid off and was replaced by a sheepish one.

"S-sakura-chan! I didn't see you there!" Naruto stuttered, bracing himself to be introduced to the end of Sakura's fist. Instead, she sighed and muttered, "I can see that. C'mon. Kakashi told us to go to the Hokage tower. Something about a new mission."

Sakura leapt off, closely followed by Sasuke.

"H-hey!! Wait up, guys!" Naruto called out, struggling to put on his ninja shoes and closing his apartment door. He tripped just as he locked the door, falling head first onto the ground. Sasuke and Sakura glanced back for a moment before rolling their eyes simultaneously.

So much for being a ninja.

* * *

"Alright Team Seven, it's been a long time since you three had any important missions together, so I've decided to let you handle the latest request by an old friend of mine," Tsunade began after the usual banter between her and Naruto. She looked seriously at the three members of Team seven over the top of her clasped hands. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke nodded and remained silent to let her continue.

"Albus Dumbledore, the old friend of mine, is the headmaster of a school. And he needs people to protect a student of his named Harry Potter."

"Protect a boy? What could be so important about that? He's just a normal boy," Sasuke said, his tone the usual monotone. Tsunade turned her head to face him.

"That is where you are wrong, Uchiha. You see, Dumbledore is no ordinary headmaster of an ordinary school. He's a _wizard_, and the school under him, called Hogwarts, teaches _witchcraft _and _wizardry_."

There was a long silence after that.

"You're kidding, right?" Sasuke said again. Sakura and Naruto could only stare at the busty blonde in front of them.

"Do I _look_ like I'm kidding?" Tsunade snapped. Sasuke calmly shook his head.

"Anyways, this boy, Harry Potter, is more special than the rest of the wizards and witches his age because he's survived the killing curse cast by the darkest wizard of this era, Lord Voldemort, when he was still an infant. He's the only one known to have survived the killing curse. And Voldemort. (Sasuke: Yeah, and Naruto's the only one to have survived thirty bowls of ramen when he was _3_.) However, the spell backfired, leaving Harry with a scar on his forehead and Voldemort barely alive. He's been gaining power all these years, and is bent on killing Harry, seeing he's the 'Chosen One'. He's been trying to kill Harry using different people's bodies for the past three years, and is believed to come back this year, more powerful that ever." She paused to take a breath.

"Therefore, Dumbledore has asked a favor from me, and I can't possibly decline. We might need his help when we are in danger. He requested for five on my best ninjas I could spare at the moment. The village needs more ninjas at this point of time, with the Grass allying with the Sound and Cloud to have a war against us and Sand. Although we do have allies like the Mist and Wave, I'm afraid it might not be enough. So, I decided that I could spare a three-man team, strong in teamwork, strength, secrecy, speed and intelligence. And you guys make the cut."

Naruto's, Sakura's and Sasuke's eyes gleamed with pride.

"Hai Tsunade-sama!!"

"Demo," Sakura asked. "What is the main objective of the mission, Tsunade-shishou?"

"All of you are to protect the school and its students. But more importantly, Harry Potter. When Voldemort strikes, you are to… _assist_, Harry in killing Voldemort."

"Why assist? Why can't we just kill him off ourselves?" Naruto inquired.

"If that was the case, I wouldn't have told you to protect Harry, now would I? I would have just told you to kill off a dangerous man named Voldemort. No, you can't kill him off, because that's _Harry's_ goal. He wants to _avenge his parents_," Tsunade explained, darting her hazel eyes towards Sasuke for a moment. Sasuke lowered his head slightly, allowing his dark bangs to cover his onyx eyes. Sakura noticed this and gave him a small comforting smile, gently brushing her fingers against his wrist. He looked up and let a shadow of a smile grace his handsome features.

"Alright then. You three will be posing as students in Hogwarts. Gather as much information as possible about Voldemort and his allies. It will be very much needed in order to defeat him. And also, the closer you get to Harry, the better and easier it is for you to protect him."

Team seven nodded.

"Oh, and there is a competition called the Triwizard Tournament this year," Tsunade added. She chuckled at the confused looks of her favourite team.

"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago, as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of witchcraft and wizardry – Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took in turns to host the Tournament every five years. And this year, it's hosted at Hogwarts. People will be coming in and it's easy to let something slip. So I just want to advise you three to be a little more cautious. Dumbledore's paying a lot for this mission. All your clothes and necessities will be paid by the village."

The three of them nodded. Sakura realized something and voiced it out.

"European? Ano, we can't speak English…" she trailed off, looking at her feet. Naruto and Sasuke pondered on it for a moment before nodding also.

Tsunade sighed. "Am I really that bad of a Hokage? Of course I didn't forget about that! That's why I came up with these!"

She took something out from her drawer, smirking in triumph. It was two silver rings hanging from two separate chains. On had '_Sakura_' engraved onto it in script and the other had '_Sasuke_' engraved onto it in script also. The one with the word '_Sakura_' on it had beautiful cherry blossom patterns on the outer part of the ring. The one with the word '_Sasuke_' on it had repeated patterns of the Uchiha fan around the outer part of the ring.

Naruto squinted his eyes at the two pieces of jewelry.

"Sakura… Sasuke… Hey! What about me?!"

Tsunade scowled at him. "As for you, brat, I'll be casting the translation jutsu on the necklace you're already wearing." She hastily unzipped his orange jumpsuit.

"H-hey!!" Naruto began to argue.

"Stay still, you brat!!"

Tsunade did a series of complicated hand seals and placed her glowing blue hand over the pendant of the necklace. Once she was done, she handed the silver rings respectively, according to the name written on the ring itself.

Sasuke held his by the chain with doubt clear in his obsidian eyes.

Sakura stared at hers with sparkling emerald eyes, clearly new at owning a piece of jewelry.

"Put those on and you'll be able to speak English with absolutely no problem at all."

Sasuke and Sakura glanced at each other and put on the necklace with reluctance. Tsunade examined her apprentice and tsked. She walked over to her and bent over to face her at eye level.

"Don't you think that she'll look better with a shorter chain, Uchiha?"

Sasuke jumped at the mention of his name. "H-huh?"

Tsunade chuckled and took off the chain from Sakura's neck. She took out another chain from her drawer, this time, it was a lot more short that the one holding the ring. She switched the chains and handed Sakura the new and improved one; the one with the shorter chain holding the ring. Sasuke saw that Sakura had trouble putting it on and offered to help. Sakura couldn't stop blushing as she held up her pink hair for Sasuke to clip on the chain at the back of her pale neck. Sasuke was just glad that she couldn't see his pink-tinted cheeks. Naruto huffed and crossed his arms, clearly not noticing Sasuke's blush, seeing that he hadn't made fun of the young Uchiha about it. The Godaime just smiled.

"Okay, now that that's all settled, I give you fifteen minutes to pack up some training clothes. I don't think they sell ninja training clothes in the wizarding world, now do they? After that, meet me back here with all your things. Understood?" Tsunade said, her tone firm.

The three teens saluted her.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama!!"

* * *

"All of you back?" Tsunade did a quick head count which told her that all of them were indeed there. She took out something from her drawer; a Konoha headband.

"Hold on to this," she ordered. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke obliged.

"Okay then. Kakashi will be waiting for you guys at the other end. He'll explain about the Quidditch World Cup. You will have to go on an undercover mission at the World Cup."

The three teens nodded.

"We won't be seeing each other for a long time, maybe a few times on important meetings. So, for now, I would just like to say good bye and _stay safe_." Tsunade smiled solemnly. Before they could reply, they felt a tug at their navels and were gone from the ridiculously busty blonde's sight.

"I don't want to loose three of my best ninjas…" she muttered as she stared at the spot where the Konoha trio just disappeared from.

* * *

**Author's note: **So... how was it? good? bad? Tell me in your reviews please! I decided not to update unless I have at least 20 reviews. (Sorry to those people who read this story before I editted it. It was a typo. What I meant was 20 reviews, not 30. Hey, it's easy to get a typo when you're typing at three in the morning and the music blasting in your ear to keep you awake.)

Ja!


	2. Going Undercover:The Quidditch World Cup

**Author's Note:** Second chapter up! I decided to update even though I didn't get the number of reviews I wanted, because I'm just nice that way... Anyways, the 12 reviews I got made me happy enough. As for one of my reviewers who asked if there was any YAOI in this fic, the answer would be a HELL NO!!

Anywho, I added Neji in the later part of this chapter. Hehe, I guess I just can't stand the fan-girl side of me, eh? Oh, and this chapter doesn't really make much sense. The parts which make sense are probably the parts which I quoted from the book itself. And it's kinda corny. I have nothing else to say. So... Hope you enjoy!!

* * *

Come on everybody stand up  
Agero kyou ichiban no jikan da  
Me ni mo tomoran no speed wo handa  
Dare mo nobinattori ko kanba yeah 

Come on everybody hands up  
Mata ashita no heroes wa comeback  
Tsuujou kazoe hibi wo countdown  
Let's go, 3-2-1 make some noise!!

* * *

"What the bloody hell is happenin'?!?!" Naruto yelled, his shoulders banging onto Sakura's and Sasuke's as the three of them sailed through the air in a thin line between existence and non-existence. 

"How the friggin' hell would I know, dobe?!" Sasuke bellowed, his dark bangs whipping mercilessly against his forehead.

"Shut the hell u-AHHH!!!" Sakura screamed as the cloth slipped between her fingers and she fell into nothingness, at least, to her.

"Sakura-chan!!"

"Sakura!!" Sasuke managed to grab Sakura's outstretched hand as she fell, bringing him down with her. She gripped onto Sasuke's hand for dear life as she fell head-first onto the ground none of them could see.

Naruto, seeing his best friends let go, did the same.

"Hold on!!" Sasuke pulled himself towards Sakura and quickly wrapped his strong arms around the kunoichi's small shoulders.

"I-I can't see the ground!" Sakura squeaked, unable to stop herself from blushing at the close proximity between Sasuke and her. Before the young Uchiha could reply, everything suddenly became clear around them. They could actually see their surroundings now. And the ground. They crashed down onto the earth with an audible thud.

"Oof!!"

Both of them rolled and skidded to a halt from the strong impact. Sakura groaned and pushed herself off the ground. Next to her, Sasuke was already sitting up with an annoyed expression on his features. Suddenly, something orange dropped from the sky and landed with a loud 'AUGH!!!' next to Sakura. The bundle of orange groaned and stirred as Sasuke helped Sakura up.

"You okay?" Sasuke asked the pink-haired girl, trying to sound as unconcerned as ever.

She nodded shakily as she tried to steady herself on her own feet, to make sure everything wasn't spinning around her. Naruto sat up, his eyes swirling.

"Baa-chan didn't tell us about that!!" he whined as Sakura helped him to his feet.

"Yeah well, I bet that that's not the only thing she didn't tell us about," Sasuke muttered, looking around him and his friends. They were on a hill, with the sun facing them and setting. Hues of yellow, orange, red and purple coloured the sky. The trio observed their surroundings. Below the hill there was what looked like a street. The shop houses were rickety and looked like it was just piled up on top of the ground without much thought. People in weird-looking clothes were streaming in and out of the shops, mostly in tightly formed groups.

"W-where are we?" Sakura stuttered, amazed at the surroundings.

Sasuke turned around and spotted a wooden and almost broken signpost which said 'Diagon Alley'.

"We're at Diagon Alley. Wherever that is," Sasuke pointed out, jabbing his thumb at the signpost.

"Okay… Baa-chan said something about Kakashi-sensei meeting us here, right?" Naruto said.

Sakura's eyebrow suddenly twitched. "Greeaaatt… Now we have to wait two hours for him. Since when does he ever come on time for anything?!" she whined.

"You… have a good point there…" Sasuke replied, sighing and crossing his arms.

Naruto dropped his bag and plopped down, cross-legged, onto the ground.

"Well, that sucks!"

"Tell me 'bout it…"

"Man, I'm hungry." And to add to the effect, Naruto's stomach rumbled. He blushed and grinned sheepishly. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Do they sell ramen around here?"

"No, but they sell orange shirts for idiotic retards like you. And if you're lucky, you might even get a free scroll!" Sasuke faked enthusiasm, at which Naruto growled and Sakura tried to stop laughing.

"This isn't Konoha or Japan, idiot. They don't sell ramen here."

"You could have just said it nicely, you know!!"

"That's not in my nature, dobe. You, of all people, should know that."

"Yeah well… uh… BASTARD!!" Naruto faltered, unable to come up with a better insult for his rival. Sasuke shook his head and sat down next to Sakura who was sitting next to Naruto. There was complete and comfortable silence between them for a few good minutes as the three of them stared at the setting sun.

"Been a long time since we had any mission like this, eh?" Sakura said softly, not moving from her spot. Both boys turned their heads to look at the medic nin between them. Sasuke nodded and turned back to stare into nothingness. Naruto grinned at Sakura and nodded, before lying on the ground, staring at the clouds drifting by.

One hour later…

Naruto's snores disrupted the silence.

Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were lying down on the grass, tired of sitting. Naruto was practically clinging onto Sakura's arm like a teddy bear, Sasuke was lying down with one knee pointing to the sky and one arm behind his head.

"Gosh, Naruto's drooling on my arm. I'm so going to kill him when he wakes up…"

"Can't wait to see that."

Two hours later…

Poof!

"Yo!" Kakashi's eye was in an arch, so Sakura and Sasuke could tell he was smiling. He was holding that smutty orange book in one hand while the other was raised up in a sign of greeting.

"What took you so long?" Sasuke growled as he sat up. Sakura sat up but was pulled down again as Naruto clung tighter onto her.

Sasuke stood up to face Kakashi as the silver-haired man kept the book safely in his jounin vest.

"So what is this all about?" Sasuke asked, trying to ignore the activity going on behind him. Shouts of 'Get the hell off me Naruto!!' and 'Sorry Sakura-chan!!' could be heard. Kakashi chuckled when Sakura shook her arm, which Naruto was holding on to, anime-style. When all of them finally settled down, Kakashi led them down the street, explaining the things about wizards. People who passed by them stared at them weirdly. Most probably because of the different attire they were wearing. And the headband. And the kunai pouch with a kunai handle sticking out. And… actually almost everything about them.

"Okay kids – " Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke glared at Kakashi. "Okay, fine. _Team_," Sakura and Naruto beamed at him. "Quidditch is a game which wizards play on flying broomsticks. Like that one over there." Kakashi pointed at a display on one of the shops. There was a sleek-looking broom hanging as a display on the window. There was a sign on top of it saying 'Firebolt'.

The three ninjas turned back to face their sensei as he continued explaining.

"The game is played by two teams of seven people; three Chasers, two Beaters, a Keeper and a Seeker, and involves four balls; a Quaffle, two Bludgers and a Golden Snitch. The Keeper guards the goal posts, the Chasers score goals with the Quaffle, the Beaters keep the Bludgers away from their team, and the Seeker catches the Golden Snitch. The object of the game is to score more points than your opponent. Each goal is worth ten points, and catching the Snitch is worth one hundred and fifty points. The game ends only when the Snitch is caught, or by mutual consent of the two team captains. Got it?"

The three of them stared blankly at the older man. He sighed.

"Never mind. You'll get to see how the game is played soon. The Quidditch World Cup is coming, and a lot of people are going. That includes Harry. Too many people aren't good, especially at this point of time. No one knows who might be in the crowd. So, Dumbledore requested that you three go undercover to the World Cup and look out for anything suspicious. Understood?"

The trio nodded.

"Alright. Now we need to get you guys some clothes and robes. You look like thorns in the roses." Kakashi took an innocent look around. "Or maybe the other way round…"

Sakura shot him a look and Naruto laughed. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Okay then! Off to Madam Malkin's!" Kakashi said, smiling goofily.

* * *

"First Years, dearies?" Madam Malkin asked casually as she took the measurements for Naruto. 

"Uh…" Sakura muttered, not knowing what the hell the woman was talking about. She and Sasuke were sitting closely together, kind of freaked out by the self-moving measurement tapes. Kakashi, having sensed their discomfort, replied for them.

"Fourth years. Their exchange students from Japan."

"Oh really? I've never heard of exchange students coming to Hogwarts before…"

"It's a new programme that Dumbledore's trying out."

"I see… Okay, the next boy, please!"

Naruto took Sasuke's seat as he stood up, looking relieved.

"Your appearances are a lot different from the people around here," Madam Malkin pointed out as she measured the length of Sasuke's arm. What she meant by that was:

Naruto's orange jumpsuit and bright blond hair.

Sakura's medic skirt and pink hair.

Sasuke's funky shirt collar and slightly blue hair.

Kakashi's mask and gravity-defying silver hair.

Kakashi chuckled and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"It's uh… a fashion in our country?" he lied. In the background, Sasuke snorted and Naruto resisted the urge to laugh. Sakura had trouble keeping her from smacking her forehead.

The witch looked at him weirdly.

"O-okay then. Next girl please!" Sakura stood up and Sasuke took her seat. Madam Malkin took her measurements quickly and began making their robes with her wand. Team seven wandered around the shop while she worked on their robes.

"Oh! And all of you need dress robes!" Madam Malkin suddenly said, as if just remembering.

"Right… Sasuke, Naruto, come with me. I'll help you guys pick. Sakura… uh…" Kakashi said, faltering at the last part.

"It's alright. I'll help her with it," Madam Malkin said with a kind smile. Kakashi nodded and muttered a 'thanks' before ushering Sasuke and Naruto to another part of the shop. Madam Malkin turned to the pink-haired medic nin and smiled.

"Alright, then, dear, which type of dress would you want? A typical gown, a fluffy one, a revealing one… or what?"

"Uh…I'm..not really..sure…"

"Okay, I'll show you the different colours there is, and you pick."

Sakura nodded. She looked around as Madam Malkin took out huge rolls of fabric. Sakura gaped at the variety of beautiful colours presented to her. There were different hues of pink, red, orange, blue, purple, brown, green, grey and a lot more. Madam Malkin chuckled at the expression on Sakura's face.

"I'm thinking that you can't decide?"

Sakura nodded. Reason being was because she _never_ owned a dress before. This was her first.

"It's okay then. I'll help you decide. You're a very pretty girl, you know that?"

Sakura blushed and Madam Malkin chuckled again.

"I think that the pink would go well with the silver. It'll bring out your hair and your skin. Are you alright with that, dear?"

"Yes, that would be wonderful, ma'am," Sakura said gratefully.

"Now, how do you want the dress to be?"

"Um… I don't know…"

"How long do you want it to be?"

"Not too short would be nice."

"Okay then. Judging your sense of style from looking at you right now… I'll make it strapless. Is that okay with you?"

"Yes. That's alright with me."

Madam Malkin and Sakura headed out of the changing room and were greeted with a goofy Naruto and Kakashi and an annoyed Sasuke. They paid for their clothes and were out of the shop.

"Time to get the books, kids!!" Kakashi said, faking enthusiasm. The trio glared at him.

"Fine… _Team_…"

"Okay Ki – " Kakashi began, but the glares he received stopped him. "I mean, _team_, we'll be leaving tomorrow, for the Quidditch World Cup. You will all be wearing these."

He tossed each of them a bundle of black cloth. Sakura caught hers and help it up in front of her, letting it unfold.

"A black cloak?"

"Yes, Sakura-chan. It _is_ an undercover mission…" Sakura flushed.

"But won't this attract more attention?"

Kakashi heaved out a heavy sigh. "Haven't you seen how those witches and wizards dress up? Compared to them, you guys look ridiculous right now…"

"Pfft… whatever."

"Okay then! Have a good rest. We'll be leaving early in the morning. Tomorrow will be a pretty long day. Well then… Ja!" And with a 'Poof!', he was gone.

Sakura turned to face the boys.

"So… who's taking first watch?"

* * *

"Sakura… Sakura…" Sasuke whispered softly, shaking the petite pink-haired teen from her slumber. She grudgingly sat up into a crumpled but technically upright position. 

"It's morning already?" she asked as she yawned widely, stretching like a cat. Sasuke sat back down on his bed and wrapped the bandages around his left arm, followed by the black armbands.

"Yeah, I woke the dobe up already. He's showering now."

Sakura nodded and walked towards her bed to get her clothes. She plopped back down onto her bed as she waited for Naruto to be done with his showering. She watched Sasuke put on his black ninja shoes.

The young Uchiha was wearing an outfit which looked similar to the one he wore to the battle with Gaara during the Chuunin exams. Black shirt, black pants, black arm bands, black head band and black ninja shoes. Pretty much everything black. Then he held up the black cloak. Oh yeah. Add that to the list.

A few minutes of silence passed by until Naruto came out with only a towel around his waist. Not that Sakura hadn't seen him half naked before, but the sight of her team mate's naked torso always made her blush. There was a time she almost got a nosebleed from seeing Sasuke topless on one of those missions. Hey, who could blame a girl with raging hormones?

"Hehe… I forgot to bring my clothes in with me…" Naruto laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. Sasuke rolled his eyes and tossed a bundle of orange and black cloth at the blonde kitsune.

"Thanks!" And with that, he rushed back inside the bathroom and quickly changed. The moment Naruto left the bathroom, Sakura ran past him and into the toilet. After all of them dressed up, they waited for their silver-haired sensei to arrive, in his usual smoky entrance.

"Kakashi-sensei sure is late!" Naruto said as he threw himself onto his bed, his cloak spreading out beneath him.

"Like we didn't know that already, idiot," Sasuke said coolly, not moving from his spot on the window ledge.

"Hey, hey! Stop arguing, guys! God, I don't even know how I put up with you guys…" Sakura interrupted Naruto before he could say anything else.

Poof!

"Yo. I see you guys are up early," the jounin said in his usual lazy drawl.

"Good morning to you, too," Sakura said sarcastically.

"Okay then… team…" Kakashi managed to stop himself just in time from saying 'kids'. "We'll be leaving through portkey again.

"What the hell is a portkey?" Sasuke asked monotonously.

"That, Sasuke, is the thing which you guys used to teleport from Konoha all the way here."

"Hn…"

"Alright then, we'll be leaving in fifteen more minutes. Now, follow me," Kakashi instructed. The three younger Konoha ninjas obliged. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke fastened their cloaks. The four of them walked through the rushing people around them, probably to get to the World Cup. There were a lot of wizards and witches who stared at them, making comments like "That girl has pink hair!" and "What are they wearing?".

Naruto was wearing the black and orange jumpsuit he got during the training with Jiraiya.

Sakura was wearing the red Haruno shirt with the brown medic skirt and black shorts underneath.

Sasuke was wearing everything black, just like his outfit during the fight with Gaara.

Kakashi was wearing his usual jounin outfit.

So, overall, they looked like, well, ninjas, especially with the weapons an' all.

Naruto glared at all the people staring at them openly. Sakura, on the other hand, was ready to pounce on them, if not for Sasuke holding her back, holding tightly onto a portion of her black cloak. He ignored his newly formed group of squealing fan-witches. Kakashi just continued reading his smutty orange book, oblivious to his surroundings. However, he seemed to know which way to go, walking through narrow alleys, busy streets and a deserted shop. There was a table in the middle of the room and a Konoha headband was placed on top of it.

"Gather around the table and hold on to the headband. All you have to do for this part of the mission is just to make sure nothing goes wrong in the World Cup. If anything goes wrong, shoot a fireball into the air. Understood?" Kakashi said, looking at his team seriously, all trace of goofiness gone from his eyes.

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi sighed.

"How many times do I have to tell you guys not to call me sensei anymore…"

"But you like it when we call you that…" Sakura said, smiling cheekily.

"You cheeky little brat," Kakashi uttered under his breath, smiling at his only female student.

"Okay then. Good luck and stay safe! Ja!"

Just as he said the last word, the trio felt a familiar tug at their navels and were once again, whizzing through the air, unnoticed by anyone. Kakashi stared at the spot his team just disappeared from, and he too, disappeared in a puff of white smoke.

* * *

"Gggrreeaaaattt!!!" Naruto whined as he almost crashed into Sakura head-on. Their cloaks flapped wildly behind them.

Sasuke could hear Sakura muttering 'I'm not going to fall again' under her breath over and over again.

Suddenly, some kind of magnetic force repelled them from the headband and soon, they were falling head first onto the ground. Having had experience on what was about to happen, their ninja instincts kicked in. The trio flipped over in the rushing air and instead of their heads making contact with the hard ground, their ninja shoe-clad feet did. But the impact was too strong that Naruto staggered and fell face first onto ground. Sasuke managed to pump a small amount of chakra to the soles of his feet, just enough o keep him standing. And Sakura, with her perfect chakra control and all, didn't need to think as her chakra automatically kept her standing.

Sakura glanced at her fallen comrade and sweat dropped.

"Oh jeez, Naruto. You're a ninja for god's sake!" Sakura chided as she helped Naruto up.

"Guys…" Sasuke said.

"Hmm?"

"This is one heck of a stadium…"

Sakura's and Naruto's head whipped around to see a scene which they never could have imagined.

They were standing at the highest place there, and could see everything going on in the pitch. A hundred and thousand witches and wizards were taking their places in the seats which rose in levels around the long oval pitch. Everything was suffused with a mysterious golden light that seemed to come from the stadium itself. The pitch looked smooth as velvet fro their lefty positions. At either end of the pitch stood three goal hoops, fifty feet high; right opposite them, almost at their eye level, was a gigantic black board. Gold writing kept dashing across it as though and invisible giant's hand was scrawling upon it and then wiping it off again.

Sakura gasped at the magnificent view.

"How the hell are we supposed to look after a whole freaking stadium packed with wand waving freaks and flying broomsticks?" Sasuke asked, his voice even and monotone. Naruto shrugged.

"I dunno. Spread out, maybe?" he suggested.

"Good idea – whoa! Naruto came up with an idea? That's new…" Sakura teased.

"Shove off, Sakura…" Naruto flushed.

"Okay then. Who wants to stay in this box. This place looks like a box. Seriously," Sasuke said, looking around the small room they were in.

"Then what do you want it to look like? Cake?" Sakura said, leaning forward to look out at the scene before them. Sasuke glared at her. He pulled up his hood. The shadow caused by the hood covered his nose and anything above.

"Sakura'll stay and Naruto and I will walk around. Naruto, you take the left side, I'll take the right side," and without waiting for a reply, he leapt off towards the crowd. Naruto grumbled and muttered curses towards his raven-haired team mate as he leapt off in the opposite direction his team mate just went, pulling up his hood at the same time. Sakura chuckled softly at her friends' antics. She leaned against the wall next to the ledge, pulling the hood to cover her pink hair and emerald eyes. Her lips were set in a grim line she managed to learn from one of her stoic and white-eyed friends back in Konoha. Boy, she sure missed Konoha already.

She suddenly heard some shuffling of feet behind her; people were coming up the stairs. Thanks to her highly trained senses, she could hear them taking a seat in the front row. She heard one of the boys saying, "Who's that? That's not another Dementor is it?". Fear was evident when he said the last few words. Sakura had no idea who or what the Dementor was, but she turned her head slightly so that the group of people could see the shape of her nose, jaw and chin. That was enough to tell them she was human but their chattering where considerably softer and more strained. She didn't bother looking at them because all she needed to do now was keep an eye out for anything suspicious or dangerous. One of the boys stood up and started talking to something –

"WTF IS THAT THING!?!?!" Inner Sakura screamed, clutching her hair.

Sakura had to bite the inside of her cheek in order not to loose her stoic façade. The boy continued talking to the …thing… as if it was human, and it was replying back. They continued talking for a long while before the boy went back to his seat.

"So that's a house-elf?" another boy asked. "Weird things, aren't they?"

So that's an elf? Go figure. Sakura blocked out the rest of the conversation and concentrated on the task at hand.

"Wild!" a boy said. "I can make that old bloke down there pick his nose again… and again… and again…"

And again, Sakura had to bite the inside of her cheek as inner Sakura rolled around on a non-existent floor, laughing her butt off.

Soon, more people filed in, most of them staring at her as she stood impassively next to the ledge, looking down at the pitch with a stoic face.

"Harry Potter, you know," Sakura heard one of the wizards say loudly, probably a lot older than the boy she heard just now. "Harry Potter… oh, come on now, you know who he is… the boy who survived You-Know-Who… you do know who he is – " he continued, but another man started talking in gibberish Sakura couldn't make as shit out of.

"I'm no great shakes at languages, I need Barty Crouch for this sort of thing. Ah, I see his house-elf's saving him a seat… good job too, those Bulgarian blighters have been trying to cadge the best places… ah, and there's Lucius!"

Sakura sensed rushed activities suddenly happening and the light atmosphere suddenly turned to a tensed one when three people entered the box; a man, a boy and a woman. They started talking and stuff. Sakura wasn't listening. She could see her blonde-haired team mate walking through the crowd, looking un-Naruto-like. He was completely cautious and stealthy. Naruto was a whole different person during missions. Suddenly Naruto tripped over something and got back up quickly, looking around to see if anyone saw him. Sakura inwardly sighed. Or maybe not. Then she saw her raven-haired team mate, strolling, looking around casually once in a while. He, too, was cautious and stealthy.

One of the men from the box stood up and pointed his wand at his throat, saying 'Sonorus!' and then spoke over the roar of sound that was now filling the packed stadium; his voice echoed over them, booming into every corner of the stands.

"Ladies and gentlemen… Welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!"

The spectators screamed and clapped. Thousands of flags waved, adding their discordant national anthems to the racket.

"And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce… the Bulgarian Team Mascots!"

Half of the spectators roared their approval.

"Veela!" a man exclaimed.

A hundred Veela were now gliding out onto the pitch. Veela were women… the most beautiful women Sakura had ever seen… except that they can't possibly be human. Their skin shone like the moon, their white-gold hair fanned out behind them. The music started and Sakura could she that Sasuke and Naruto visibly stopped in their tracks. In fact, every male who didn't have their ears covered did.

The Veela started to dance and as the Veela started dancing faster and faster, she could see her team mates nearing the ledge with a dazed look. Movement next to her snapped herself out of her thoughts. Two boys were about to jump down from the box! One of the girls managed to grab onto the red-head one just as he was about to leap off. The other boy, however, almost fell off the ledge. In a burst of activity, Sakura tackled him back to the ground.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" Sakura snarled, making herself sound menacing so that people won't recognize her the next time they hear her. That seemed to snap him out of his trance because he looked at her in surprise. She was on top of him, her arms on either side of his waist. Even in this position, the boy couldn't see Sakura's face, only her mouth and jaw.

"Harry!" a girl with bushy brown hair cried out and ran over to her fallen friend. Sakura got off Harry, debating on whether this was the Harry Potter she and her team mates were supposed to protect. After she looked at the scar and black hair, she realized it was indeed him. The girl glanced at Sakura as she helped Harry up.

"Thank you so much for saving Harry! Harry, she saved your life! You were about to just off the ledge! What were you thinking!!" she said, obviously freaking out.

Harry looked at Sakura, who was back to looking over the ledge. Sakura saw that Naruto was whacking his head slightly as he continued walking around. Sasuke was shaking his head, dark bangs swaying.

Angry yells were filling the stadium. The crowd didn't want the Veela to go.

"And now," the man's voice boomed. "Kindly put your wands in the air… for the Irish National Team Mascots!"

The next moment, what seemed to be a great green and gold comet had come zooming into the stadium, and then split into two smaller comets, each hurtling towards the goalposts. A rainbow arced suddenly across the pitch, connecting the two balls of light. The crowd 'oooohed' and 'aaaahed', as though at a firework display. Now the rainbow faded and the balls of light reunited and merged; they had formed a great shimmering shamrock, which rose up into the sky and began to soar over the stands. Something like golden rain seemed to be failing from it –

"Gold coins?" Sakura thought as one of the gold objects landed gently on the palm of her hand. Sakura looked up and noticed that the shamrock was actually composed of thousands of tiny little bearded men with red waistcoats, each carrying a minute lamp of gold or green.

The great shamrock dissolved, the little men drifted down onto the pitch on the opposite side from the Veela, and settled themselves cross-legged to watch the match.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, kindly welcome the Bulgarian National Quidditch team! I give you – Dimitrov!"

A scarlet-clad figure on a broomstick – a _flying_ one – moving so fast it was blurred, shot out onto the pitch from an entrance far below, to wild applause from the Bulgarian supporters.

"Ivanova!"

A second scarlet-clad figure zoomed out.

"Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov! Aaaaaand – _Krum_!"

The red-headed boy who almost fell off the ledge with his other friend whom Sakura had saved in the nick of time a few moments ago yelled excitedly, "That's him, that's him!"

"_That_'s Viktor Krum?" the bushy haired-girl asked incredulously, her dark chocolate orbs glued on the scarlet-robed figure on a very fast-moving broomstick. Sakura squinted to get a better view of the Quidditch player who seemed to be very popular. Fan-girls were screaming their heads off at the Bulgarian side of the stadium. Sakura almost laughed at the expression on Sasuke's face.

Viktor Krum was thin, dark and sallow-skinned, with a large curved nose and thick black eyebrows. The corners of Sakura's lips twitched. It reminded her of the 'Handsome Green Beast of Konoha'. She could see Naruto pause to stare at Krum, a grin making its way to his face.

"And now, please greet – the Irish National Quidditch Team!" the older wizard yelled. "Presenting – Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! Aaaaaand – _Lynch_!"

Seven green blurs swept onto the pitch.

"And here, all the way from Egypt, our referee, acclaimed Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa!"

A small and skinny wizard, completely bald but with a moustache, wearing robes of pure gold to match the stadium, strode out onto the pitch. A silver whistle was protruding from under the moustache, and he was carrying a large wooden crate under one arm, a broomstick under the other. He mounted his broomstick and kicked the crate open – four balls burst into the air: a scarlet one which Sakura guessed was the Quaffle, two black ones which she thought were the Bludgers, and Sakura managed to catch a glimpse of something small, winged and gold before it sped out of sight. That, Sakura thought, must have been the Snitch. With a sharp blast on his whistle, Mostafa shot into the air after the balls.

"Theeeeey're off!" screamed the commentator, who would be the man standing a few feet from Sakura.

She had to stop herself from gaping. The speed of these players were incredible – the Chasers throwing the Quaffle were moving so fast that the commentator only had time to say their names. Sakura watched with mild interest as three Irish Chaser zoom closely together with the guy called Troy in the centre, slightly ahead of the other two guys, bearing down upon the Bulgarians.

The game went on for almost an hour more without anything going wrong, besides the injuries that a few of the players got from being hit by the ball or crashing head-on onto the ground. Sakura heard one of the boys saying that one of the techniques where the seeker did a dangerous diversion was called Wronski Feint. Sakura raised a delicate eyebrow at this. It was easy to create a diversion like that in the ninja world. All it took was just a sudden surge of chakra and a wall.

Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were getting bored when suddenly; a shout of "MORSMORDRE!!" rang throughout the whole stadium, booming over the sounds of the spectator's excited yells and screams. The next moment, something vast, green and glittering erupted from the patch of darkness a little beyond the stadium: it flew up over the stadium and into the sky. It was a colossal skull, composed of what looked like emerald stars, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue.

For a split second, everything became quiet. And the next second, the stadium erupted with screams. The Veela and little bearded men scurried out of the pitch in fear. The Quidditch players zoomed out of the pitch faster than Sakura thought was ever possible. Everyone was scrambling out of their seats to exit the stadium.

"Oh my… Everyone, get out of here, NOW!!" one of the elder wizards commanded urgently, already taking out his wand from under his robes.

"Why? What's wrong?!" the red-headed boy asked as he was ushered roughly out of the room.

"That's the Dark Mark, Ron! Voldemort's mark!" the bushy haired girl said, seizing Ron's jacket and pulling him out of the room. Harry stood rooted to the ground as he stared at the blazing green mark in the dark sky.

Sakura immediately lost her stoic façade as she caught Naruto's and Sasuke's eyes. All three of them nodded and Sasuke and Naruto jumped off the seats and towards the middle of the pitch. Sakura made to jump from the ledge of the box, but Harry grabbed her cloak before she could take off.

"What are you doing?!" he asked when Sakura whipped her head around to look at him in disbelief.

"My job," Sakura sneered, although her expression was one of anxiety. She quickly yanked her cloak away from his hand and pushed her foot against the ledge, pumping chakra to her feet to cover a longer distance. A sudden rush of adrenaline coursed through her, the wind whipped her short pink locks, and her cloak flapped wildly behind her. A quick glance behind told her Harry had been ushered out of the room by the bushy haired girl, with him protesting about something.

Sakura landed gracefully, knees bent and arms limp by her sides. That way, her cloak never revealed any part of her clothing except her shoes. She quickly ran over to her team mates.

"It's Voldemort's mark," Sakura said immediately. Sasuke stared at her.

"No wonder everyone's freaking out…" Sakura glared at him slightly.

"This is no time for jokes, Sasuke. We don't know how strong these people are."

"So what do you reckon we do?" Naruto asked, looking at all the people hurrying out of the stadium.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!!" Sasuke yelled. He inhaled deeply and exhaled, a fireball making its way to the sky near the green mark.

"I saw the light coming from the forest next to this stadium - " Sakura began, but Sasuke's eye widened and suddenly grabbed her by the waist and Naruto by the shoulder and pulled them flat onto the ground.

"STUPEFY!!" roared twenty voices. There was a blinding series of flashes and the Konoha trio felt the hair on their heads ripple as though a powerful wind had swept the clearing. Raising his head a fraction of an inch, Sasuke saw jets of fiery red light flying over them from the wizards' wands, exploding in a small firework display above the trio. He could feel Sakura shaking and Naruto trembling. They didn't have time to move when the wizards repeated the same spell.

"STUPEFY!!" Sasuke unconsciously tightened his grip on Naruto's shirt and Sakura.

"KAITEN!!" A huge gust of what felt like very strong wind swirled around them at a very high speed. Sakura's, Naruto's and Sasuke's eyes snapped open to see the spinning form of the Hyuuga prodigy right above them. They couldn't see his form well as he was hidden under a black cloak, just like the trio. They heard loud crackling sounds as each jet of red light bounded off the chakra shield Neji had created.

"When I stop, make a run for it!!" he yelled in Japanese, already slowing down.

"NOW!!" he shouted just as he stopped spinning and all three of them disappeared in a puff of white smoke.

"Neji! What are you doing here?!" Sakura asked as the four of them tore through the forest. She noticed that he, too, had a similar silver ring to hers and Sasuke's. Only that his didn't have any decorative patterns around it. Most probably because Tsunade made it on the last minute.

Neji glanced at her; his clear pale eyes looked like they were glowing in the shadows.

"The Hokage found out that magical spells could be deflected by my Kaiten and sent me to find you guys to inform you about this. She said that the spells could be deflected with chakra, something about magic being another form of chakra. Kakashi saw the fireball in the sky and told me to find you three immediately," he explained quickly, Byakugan activated.

"Turn left after eight steps," Neji ordered. Usually Sasuke wouldn't even dream of obeying Neji, but Neji had the eyes to see things he couldn't. So, he forced himself to swallow his humongous pride and follow. They turned left and were met with a clearing big enough to hold a few tents. Neji held out a hand, signaling them to stop. They obliged.

"Kakashi told me to take you guys here. Something about a portkey."

Sakura and Naruto instinctively groaned.

"Not that thing again! I always feel throwing up whenever I land!" Naruto complained.

"For once, idiot, I agree," Sasuke muttered, crossing his arms.

Poof!

Kakashi appeared. Something was different though, he wasn't smiling like the way he usually does, and the smutty little orange book was nowhere in sight. He hurriedly took out a Konoha headband and held it out.

"Hold on to this. We'll talk about this when we get back to the Inn."

* * *

"What happened there?" Kakashi asked, folding his arms and sitting on the railing of the balcony. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were sitting on their respective beds, while Neji sat on the couch. 

"The game was going fine with all the flying broomsticks and it was so cool and did you see that dive-bomb thing they did with their brooms and that dude crashed onto the ground and then the pretty women dancing and the gold coins falling from the sky and - " Naruto blabbered excitedly, before Sakura clamped a hand over his mouth, sighing.

"The game was going on fairly well. Then a jet of green light shot out from the forest we were just running through and the mark appeared in the sky. And everyone started screaming and running for their lives. I don't get it though. It wasn't hurting anyone or anything," Sasuke explained.

"One of the witches in the box with me said it was Voldemort's mark. But I still don't see why it's such a big deal…" Sakura said.

"Look, can someone just explain what the skull thing was?" Neji asked, looking annoyed.

"The mark hasn't been seen in thirteen years. Seeing it is like seeing Voldemort himself," Kakashi said boredly, as though he memorized it from a book. The four of them stared at the jounin.

"Tsunade forced me to read the stupid history books or else she would burn my entire Icha Icha collection, including the posters," he said, shuddering slightly. Sasuke and Neji ran a hand down their faces.

"Maybe I would too, if you won't stop reading it in front of me!" Sakura threatened, a fist shaking in front of her. Kakashi held up his hands in defense.

"But what's the whole point of sending a fireball into the air? It's not like you can't already see the mark," Sasuke inquired.

"The fireball is just to confirm that something really is wrong there. I couldn't possibly make out the Dark Mark from where I was," Kakashi replied. "It would have just looked like a green streak. And that signals me to follow Harry to make sure nothing happens to him."

"But he had his friends with him and the elder wizards…" Sakura said.

"That may be true, but it's better to be safe than sorry, eh? Besides, when I found him, he was without his wand. Of course, I couldn't possibly go up to him and help him. I had to be hidden. But he found his wand with an elf at the place where the Dark Mark was conjured from."

"Elf?!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Yeah, I saw one in the box. It was so - " Sakura shuddered. " – gross."

Kakashi sighed tiredly. "Okay, team, Neji will be sent on the mission along with you guys. Tsunade found out about the chakra and magic thing and told Neji to teach you three."

"Hai…"

"Wait… Where will he be sleeping, Kaka-sensei?" Sakura asked, looking around.

"Uh…"

"I'll just sleep on the couch. We'll be leaving in a few days anyway," Neji said, shrugging. He dumped his bag next to the couch and plopped down with a soft sigh on the couch.

"Alright then. Rest well, team. I've got to go back to Konoha to clear some things up. We'll be leaving for Hogwarts the day after tomorrow. Ja!"

With the trademark poof, he was gone.

And the rest is history.

* * *

**Author's Note**: So how was it? Good? Bad? Tell me in your reviews! I won't be updating as fast as I did for this chapter cause I haven't typed it out yet. And I do know that this chapter didn't make much sense. Well, to me it didn't. But Naruto, Neji, Sakura and Sasuke will FINALLY be going to Hogwarts in the next chapter. Therefore, I'm feeling very hyped up right now. I've said my peace. Till next chapter! 

Ja!


	3. Wands and Chakra:Magical Destruction

**Author's Note**: Alright, mates! I finally, _finally_, managed to type out this chapter after about a week of no updates. I'm really sorry for the long wait. My mum went berserk a few days ago about me using the computer too much. Anyways, I just want to thank my reviewers for all your wonderful reviews!

And one more thing, I'm rally sorry to all those people who waited a long time for this chapter. I decided to drag the events a bit and decided that the shinobi will be meeting Harry and his friends in the next chapter. So this chapter can be considered as a filler.

Anywho, I tried my hardest to type this out in the middle of the night, and there you have it!

Hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Come on everybody stand up  
Agero kyou ichiban no jikan da  
Me ni mo tomoran no speed wo handa  
Dare mo nobinattori ko kanba yeah 

Come on everybody hands up  
Mata ashita no heroes wa comeback  
Tsuujou kazoe hibi wo countdown  
Let's go, 3-2-1 make some noise!!

* * *

"_Sasuke-kun!!" her twelve-year old form cried out in agony to the Uchiha prodigy standing a few feet from her. Leaves spiraled around them, carried by the gentle breeze. Her tears rolled down her smooth cheek, off her chin, and onto the concrete ground, creating a small puddle made of her tears under her feet. _

_The Sharingan wielder remained silent and still, head bowed slightly._

"_Don't leave me, please! I beg of you! I'd do anything to make you stay!! I'll help you with your revenge - !"_

"_How can you help me when you can't even help yourself?" Sasuke snapped, his onyx eyes glinting with malice. At this, Sakura's face slackened and more tears streamed down her cheeks without her even realizing it. _

"_Why don't you be useful and train instead of chasing me around? Constantly depending onto me and Naruto on missions, Naruto may not have said this but, deep down, _you're only bringing us down_."_

_Sakura let out a gasp without really meaning to. Those words broke the last of the barrier that kept the hurtful words and rejection from Sasuke out of her heart. _

"_What I really mean is…"_

_Sasuke turned around slightly to glare at her with cold, emotionless, obsidian eyes. _

"You're useless_."_

_Right then, Naruto materialized next to Sasuke. Sakura looked at him, about to tell him to try and stop Sasuke from leaving, but the icy look in his usually cheerful and warm cerulean eyes stopped her in her tracks. _

"_You've always held me back, Sakura_-chan_," he said, pressing on the word '-chan' mockingly. _

"_Why don't you stop running after Sasuke, lecturing me as if you're better than me, and clinging onto us like the pathetic useless ninja you are and try to put your pathetic talents you have to good use." Naruto sneered, his brows furrowed in an uncharacteristic frown. _

"_Na-naruto…" Sakura stammered, taking half a step away from her team mates, and the ones she considered her best friends._

_In the same way Naruto did, Kakashi materialized behind Sasuke. He wasn't holding the perverted book in his hands, nor did he have the usual goofy or lazy look on his almost totally covered face. His dark eyes held only one thing; hatred. And it was directed towards her._

_Sakura's head swiveled around to look at Kakashi with uncertainty in her eyes. _

"_Kakashi-sensei… Please, stop them - !"_

"_I've always known, from the moment I saw you in the classroom, that you were the biggest failure I've ever known. The only reason you passed my test was because Sasuke had done the right thing, and you only followed because you're too useless to think by yourself," he said scathingly. _

"_Kakashi's right, Sakura_-chan_. I was ashamed to face the other teams because I had a _failure_ in mine."_

"_Please…"_

"_Even failures can be useful at times, but you never were."_

"_Stop…"_

"_All you ever did was hang onto us."_

"_Stop, please!!"_

"_You are so _naive_. Can't you see that we_ don't want you_?"_

"_No!! Stop this!!"_

"_All the times I saved you, it was like _training_ to me."_

"_P-please…"_

"_I did it out of _pity_."_

"_Stop…"_

"_Face it Sakura…"_

_Sakura looked up to see the disgusted gazes of her team mates and teacher._

"You're nothing to us_."_

* * *

Neji, Naruto and Sasuke awoke to the sounds of rushed and frantic movements. Hastily grabbing a kunai from their kunai holsters, they looked around blankly through the darkness. Neji sensed the blonde's and Uchiha's chakras flare up slightly from its usual calm manner. He couldn't sense any other chakra signatures in the room. Besides the erratic flow of chakra coming from Sakura, everything seemed normal. 

Naruto, assuming it was safe, rushed over to the switch and flicked on the light.

The first thing the three of them noticed was the struggling form of Sakura on her bed. She thrashed around wildly on her bed, as if struggling against some kind of invisible rope. The covers were tangled up between her slender legs, and were further tangled up as she thrashed around more. Her face was scrunched up in pain and sadness, as though being tortured. The boys become aware of the rivulets of crystal tears had rolled down the side of her face, from her tightly closed eyes.

Sasuke scrambled out of his bed and ran towards' Sakura's bed. Neji pushed himself off and over the back of the couch. Naruto clumsily sprinted towards Sakura's struggling form.

"Sakura-chan!!" he called out, shaking her slightly.

She kept on muttering 'No! Stop! Please!' as though begging someone.

"Sakura!" Neji shouted, but she never woke up.

"Sakura! SNAP OUT OF IT!!!!" Sasuke yelled.

The said kunoichi woke up with a jolt, her chest heaving up and down heavily. Sakura bolted upright, her bangs swaying forwards and covering her glistening emerald eyes for a moment. She looked around to see the shocked faces of her comrades.

"Neji, Naruto, Sasuke! Oh my god! Thank goodness!" Sakura said tearfully, and wrapped and arm around Naruto and Sasuke, pulling them into a warm embrace. Sasuke stiffened but Sakura didn't care. She was just glad that the nightmare she just had wasn't real.

"It's okay, Sakura-chan… We're here…"Naruto whispered comfortingly, rubbing her back soothingly.

"What's wrong?" Neji asked softly as he took a seat at the edge of her bed.

"Y-you guys l-left m-me," Sakura breathed out in between choking sobs.

"What?!" Naruto exclaimed and pulled away from Sakura the same time Sasuke did.

"You know I – I mean, we, wouldn't do that!" Naruto said, looking at Sakura with disbelief, azure eyes darting to Sasuke for a moment.

"Y-yeah… We won't leave you… I won't leave you…" Sasuke muttered, looking down slightly so that they couldn't see his onyx eyes which had suddenly been filled with emotions. He still regretted the night he left her on the stone bench with nothing but the silence of the cold dark night to accompany her.

Awkward silence fell upon them.

"Uh… yeah…" Neji cleared his throat in order to break the silence. "Well, you're fine now and no one's leaving. So, I suggest that we all get some rest because tomorrow's going to be another long day." Neji said, patting Sakura's leg, which was the closest part of her to him, softly, before getting up and throwing himself onto the couch with a tired sigh.

Naruto and Sasuke got up from their kneeling positions next to Sakura's bed and went over to theirs, practically collapsing onto the soft mattresses. Naruto threw the pink haired kunoichi one last foxy grin before flipping over onto his stomach and falling into a deep slumber almost immediately. Sasuke got up and lazily flicked the switch off, engulfing all of them in darkness once again. The soft creaking of the bed signified that Sasuke had already gone to bed.

Sakura turned to her side to face the window, where she could gaze at the full moon. Her attention drifted to the sounds of Naruto's loud snores and Neji's deep breathing, telling her that the both of them were already asleep. Sasuke, however, seemed to still be awake. She knew that she, too, won't be getting any sleep anytime soon.

Sasuke turned around to lie on his back. He stared at the plain white ceiling and thought of the previous incident.

"_Y-you guys l-left m-me…"_

Suddenly feeling angry, not at anyone or anything else, but himself, he clenched his fist and turned to his side, teeth gritted together and brows furrowed.

On nights like these, where he has to sleep in a foreign place with his team mates, Sakura's deep and calm breathing had always kept him relaxed and able to fall sound asleep without any worries.

It was going to be hard without that tonight.

* * *

"Up and at 'em!!" Sakura shouted cheerily. It was like the dream never happened. 

Naruto groaned.

"Ne, Sakura-chan… You've been reading those Maximum Ride books too much…" Naruto mumbled as he turned and stuffed a pillow above his head. Sakura grinned and jumped on Naruto's bed, landing on the blonde himself.

"Sakura-chaaaaann…" Naruto grunted, moving the pillow from his face. His sapphire orbs snapped open when he saw that Neji was already doing his hair and Sasuke was already dressed. Sakura was sitting on top of him, already dressed in her usual red shirt with the Haruno crest on the back and her medic skirt and black short, along with the elbow braces and knee length boots, with her arms crossed and an expression which said 'Hah! In your face!'.

"Sakura-chaaaann!!!! Why didn't you wake me up earlier!!!" Naruto whined as he literally lifted Sakura off him and rummaged through his bag for his usual attire.

"Yeah, well. You were going 'One more minute…' and 'Mmhmm… Saaaakuraaaa-chaaaann…". I found it highly amusing and you made a really good alarm clock," Sakura said as she took the brush from Neji. Naruto blushed and rushed into the bathroom with the bundle of clothes in his arms.

"Pervert…" Sasuke muttered as he watched his blonde team mate stumble into the bathroom.

Sakura threw the brush at him.

* * *

"Kaka-sensei… What are we doing here?" Naruto asked indignantly, eyes squinted shut and arms behind his head. 

Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, Neji and Sasuke were walking down Diagon alley. People stared at them as they passed. Sasuke threw them glares while Neji kept his pale eyes staring straight ahead, as though not really seeing anything. Well, it's hard to tell; he has white eyes. Sakura had had her hands behind her back as she tried to resist bashing the living daylights out of the perverted old men that ogled at her openly. Kakashi, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to everything around him, except, of course, his smutty little orange book.

"You guys need to get wands," Kakashi drawled, not taking his eye off the book in his hands. Sensing the blank and puzzled stares from the younger Konoha ninjas, he added, "You know, those wooden sticks wizards use to perform their 'magic'." He pointed at a woman waving a wand somewhere north-west to them, still not looking up from his book.

"Oh…"

"Alright then!! Sakura-chan! I see a tree!! Maybe you could - !" Naruto began speaking excitedly.

"It doesn't work that way, Naruto. These wands have magical properties in them, like, a hair from the tail of a unicorn or a feather from the tail of a phoenix. The wand chooses the owner, and not the other way round," Kakashi explained lazily.

"Right…" Sakura said, dragging the word.

"Where exactly are we going?" Sasuke asked, slightly annoyed.

They passed a shop called Flourish and Blotts, which he remembered as the place where they had bought their school books. Then there was Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions, where they bought their robes and dress robes. They passed another shop called Quality Quidditch Supplies, where brooms of different types were on display on the window, but there was one which was the most outstanding from the rest. It was a sleek looking broom labeled 'Firebolt', which Sasuke remembered Kakashi had pointed out the day before.

"Ollivanders," Neji stated as the four-man team halted in front of a shop, where boxes upon boxes were piled on top of each other behind the counter.

Kakashi opened the door, having already put his smutty book back safely into his jounin vest. A tiny bell jingled as Sakura, Naruto, Neji and Sasuke stepped into the shop, looking uneasy.

A man with white hair, which seemed to stick up from his scalp at every angle, and silver eyes looked up from writing something on the counter top. Kakashi walked towards the counter as the man stared at them, Naruto, Sakura, Neji and Sasuke trailing behind him.

"Good afternoon, sir. What can I do for you?" the man, who was obviously the shop keeper, who would be Mr Ollivander himself, said. He was looking at all five of them with a weird look. Apparently he wasn't used to seeing brightly-clothed people coming to his shop.

"Ah… I need to get wands for these four," Kakashi said, indicating to the other four shinobi in the room.

"Aren't they a little too old to be getting their wand?" Mr Ollivander asked, examining the said four.

"Er… They're from another country. From the place we came from, we don't use wands to perform magic," Kakashi said, his brain working quickly to come up with a believable and sensible lie, but was still obviously a lie.

"I see…" Mr Ollivander mumbled, still giving them the suspicious look.

"Alright then! Who's going first?" he asked, and Naruto instantaneously raised his hand into the air, jumping up and down slightly.

"Oo! Me! Pick me!!"

"Alright, the blonde one first then."

Naruto skipped towards the old man and Mr Ollivander asked, "Are you a right or left hander?"

"Uh…" Naruto scratched his head. Sasuke gave in to the urge to smack his head.

"Ow!! BASTARD!!" Naruto yelled, rubbing his head. Sasuke ignored him.

"He's a right-hander," Sakura answered for him.

"Okay…" Mr Ollivander looked at them strangely. He turned around and climbed onto a stool in front of the shelves. Placing a wrinkled and calloused hand on his chin in a thinking posture, his silver eyes browsed through the humongous stack of small rectangular boxes. Pulling out a box swiftly, he jumped down the stool, turning the box this way and that.

He placed it on the counter top and lifted the lid of the box, revealing a narrow piece of polished wood, with some sort of rubber grip for the handle.

"Ten and a quarter inches, rose wood, contains a single hair from a fine male unicorn," he stated as he handed Naruto the wand with both hands. The blonde kitsune stared at the stick in his hands dumbly as Sakura, Sasuke and Neji gathered behind him. The four of them – Sakura, Sasuke, Neji and Kakashi – darted their eyes from the wand to Naruto, then back again, as if expecting something magical to happen.

A few moments of silence passed. Suddenly –

"Give it a wave, boy!!" Mr Ollivander said exasperatedly, his voice booming to every corner of the shop. Sakura and Naruto jumped, causing him to give a sharp jab with the wand.

The next moment, Naruto was thrown back from the strong force of the sudden jet of water which erupted from the tip of the wand. He flew past Sakura, who made a last minute grab for his shirt, but missed by a hair, and then Neji and Sasuke, who didn't bother to do anything to stop his blonde team mate from crashing into anything. Kakashi took a casual and lazy step to the side, allowing Naruto to crash head on onto the glass window. Glass shards exploded onto the street outside after Naruto's figure. Several screams could be heard.

Mr Ollivander gaped at his broken window. He was soaked from chest up.

Sasuke and Kakashi could only stare at the orange clad ninja, as he flew through another window, with their hands shoved into their pockets. Sakura winced as more screams could be heard. Neji shook his head with a disgusted expression on his face.

"Baka…" Sakura muttered under her breath, annoyed. She and the other shinobi turned back to face a dumbstruck Mr Ollivander.

"W-what was that?" he stammered.

"An idiot. I thought it was obvious enough," Sasuke replied, gazing at the older man with his cold onyx eyes. Neji held back a smirk, but Sakura punched him lightly on the arm, although there was a smile on her pretty face. Sasuke smirked at her, causing the heat to rise up to her face. She blushed and looked away.

Faint laughter is suddenly heard, and it became louder as the person laughing came nearer. The door opened and the small bell jingled. Something orange and yellow stumbled into the shop.

"That… was so COOL!!" Naruto gasped, breathless from laughter. "Do I get to keep this one?" he asked hopefully, holding up the wand and looking at the wand maker with wide, sparkling cerulean eyes.

Mr Ollivander blinked a few times in surprise. Recovering from his reverie, he snatched the wand away from him.

"Absolutely not!!" he said, placing it back in the box and sliding it back into the shelf. Naruto pouted. Taking a furtive glance at Naruto, he took out another box.

"Ah… Try this one; nine and a half inches, oak wood and a single strand of fur from a tail of a legendary nine-tailed fox," Mr Ollivander said, handing Naruto a wand, which had a tint of orange on the polished wood.

"Uh…" Naruto took the piece of wood uneasily.

"Go on, give it a wave, Naruto," Sakura prodded him gently.

"Er… right…" He gave a hesitant and small wave, barely moving his wrist, afraid of what destruction the magic might cause.

A flow of chakra rippled off from the tip of the wand, causing a pleasant and gentle breeze to create a small whirlwind around him. He began glowing orange. Pieces of parchment from all over the shop gathered around him and where blown into the air by the small whirlwind. The whirlwind did not create any sort of damage.

As the wind died down and the light he was emitting disappeared, he could see the beaming face of Mr Ollivander.

"You just found your wand, boy!!"

* * *

"Bastard!!! You're next!!" Naruto said in that obnoxiously loud voice of his. He pushed his raven-haired friend forwards. Sasuke managed to regain his balance before he did a face plant. 

He wasn't called a ninja for nothing.

"Idiot…" Sasuke snarled at Naruto, who just gave a foxy grin.

"Alright, are you a left or right hander?" Mr Ollivander asked.

"Right."

Mr Ollivander almost flinched at the cold tone in Sasuke's voice. But he's talked to so many customers who have so many different types of tones that Sasuke's didn't make much of a difference. 'Much' being the keyword.

He turned around and scanned the row of boxes. His silver eyes lighting up at a box, he pulled it out.

"Eight inches, rose wood, Dragon heartstring. Give it a wave," the wand maker said, handing Sasuke the wand.

Sasuke gave it an almost lazy flick.

"Crap…" was all he manage to say just before his feet left the ground from the strong power of the whirlwind of fire which erupted from the tip of the wand. Sakura's eyes widened. Sasuke was going to crash into her, hard, if she didn't move. Fast. Neji grabbed her arm and pulled her from harm's way.

Wham!

"Ow…" Sasuke uttered. He was slammed forcefully onto the wall, though he was grateful that he didn't have to crash out of a window. He slid into a sitting position due to his temporarily weak knees.

"Daijobu?" Sakura asked, holding out a hand for him to take.

"Aa…" He hesitated, before taking her hand and pulling himself up, much to the kunoichi's delight.

"Can I keep - ?" Before Sasuke could even finish his request, an angry Mr Ollivander had snatched the wand from him and placed it into the box. Sasuke could see why though. His eyebrows and small portions of his white hair had been singed by the fire.

"NO!! Definitely not!!" he fumed, climbing onto a stool and taking out another box.

"Twelve inches, Rowan wood, a strand of leprechaun hair," Mr Ollivander snapped. Sasuke glared kunai at him and grabbed the wand, not too kindly.

Sasuke's obsidian eyes drifted to the wand in his hands. He looked up and smirked. The wand maker raised a singed eyebrow, but before he could ask anything, Sasuke gave a long, sweeping motion with his wand. This successfully created a raging thunderstorm in the small and cramped shop.

The five shinobi just stood there impassively under the heavy rain, while Mr Ollivander had flung up his arms to block the rain from pelting him. Finally having had had enough, he pulled out his own wand from under his brown robes and did frantic waving motions with it.

"Stop! Stop! STOP!!!!" he yelled, and the thunderstorm only grew worse. All the books had been soaked and the water level rose until their ankles. Sakura flipped her soaked pink hair off her face, looking annoyed. Naruto seemed to be having fun. He ran a hand through his blonde hair which was plastered to his head, and it stuck up again. Neji had his arms crossed and the rubber band holding his chestnut coloured hair together in a low ponytail had slipped off and his hair covered his face, making him look like a manly banshee. Sasuke's hair didn't change from his chicken-butt hair style at the back. Kakashi sighed. His silver hair was flopping over to one side.

Sasuke was still smirking.

"Stop this madness!" Mr Ollivander cried out exasperatedly, using a book to shield his head.

Sasuke shrugged. He gave a lazy flick with the wand and the thunderstorm instantaneously stopped.

"Definitely not this one!" Mr Ollivander said reproachfully, snatching the wand away from Sasuke's pale hands before he could object. Sasuke glowered at the older man's back as he took out another wand.

"Eleven inches, Ash wood, a strand of mermaid hair," the wand maker said, a frown etched on his wrinkled face.

"Hn…" Sasuke took the wand, becoming irritated. Behind him, Sakura had done some kind of drying jutsu, and the water in the shop rapidly disappeared.

"Thanks…" Neji mumbled when Sakura handed him another hair band, since he couldn't find his.

The young Uchiha gave a quick and small wave. A book next to Sakura exploded, raining them with charred pieces of paper.

Mr Ollivander made a grab for the wand. But to his surprise, Sasuke willingly gave it to him.

"It didn't cause as much destruction," Sasuke said, noticing the wand maker's questioning look, giving a half shrug. Sakura smacked her forehead. Mr Ollivander raised an eyebrow.

"Ah…" Mr Ollivander mumbled, sliding out a black box. "Only two with the same cores…" he said, barely above a whisper, as he laid it down on the counter top. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Eleven and a quarter inches, Yew, a single feather from the tail of a legendary black phoenix," Mr Ollivander said, carefully handing the Uchiha the wand. As his hand reached out to take hold of the handle, a sudden surge of chakra escaped from his fingertips, emitting black and silver sparks between his fingers and the wand. He drew his hand back for a moment. Sasuke looked quizzically at the older man. He was staring at him with unreadable, silver eyes.

"Go on," Mr Ollivander urged him. Sasuke obliged.

The moment he wrapped his hand around the rubber handle, a black glow erupted from the tip and surrounded him, and magically conjured-up, black wings glowed and stretched out from his back. Sasuke looked down at himself, then at his friends.

Naruto's jaw went slack, Sakura gasped and put a fist to her mouth, her emerald eyes shining, Neji's wide, silver eyes reflected the black glow Sasuke was emitting, and Kakashi just stared at him with an unreadable expression. In their eyes, Sasuke caught a fleeting image of what he looked like at the moment.

He looked like a freaking death angel.

Sasuke watched with wide onyx eyes as the black glow from his body dissipated slowly. The wings on his back disappeared in a flurry of glowing black feathers. Mr Ollivander could only gape at the magnificent view.

"Uh…" Sasuke said, staring at the wand in his hands, and then looking at Mr Ollivander.

"That's your wand, boy!"

* * *

"Just pass me a wand, damn it," snarled a pissed Neji. This was his seventh wand and he still hasn't got one which suited him. 

The first had caused a hail storm, the second had conjured up a man eating plant, which took Sakura to wrestle it to the ground with her inhuman strength before Neji could free himself from the plant and banish it. The third caused an explosion in the ground right below Naruto, causing him to be blasted into the air and create a hole in the ceiling. The fourth left a decent amount of slimy, green goo hanging from the ceiling, walls and windows, and dripping from the five shinobi and Mr Ollivander. The fifth had caused Naruto's pants to catch fire, earning a girlish and un-Naruto-like scream from him. The sixth had caused a really bad hair day, well, for Neji and Sakura. All it took for Naruto and Sasuke was a shake of their head and their hair would fall back to its original style, much to Sakura's and Neji's chagrin. The seventh summoned a murderous ghoul into the room, causing Sakura to scream her head off.

After everything finally settled down, Mr Ollivander huffed and slide out a random box from the shelf. When he realized which wand it was, he frowned.

"Ten inches, blackthorn, a single feather from a particularly fine and rare silver eagle," he stated, handing Neji the wand. He looked around at his comrades and friends, before sighing dejectedly and giving it a short and stiff wave.

A rustle of wings filled the shop as over five mighty, silver eagles soared around Neji and over his head. A feeling of warmth filled Neji as he gazed at the silver birds.

"Cool…" Naruto muttered, awed. Neji could only stare at the magnificent birds as they flew freely around him. It was ironic how these birds reflected the complete opposite of his life.

Mr Ollivander gave a sigh of relief just as the eagles disappeared in a rustle of wings.

"Alright! That's yours, boy! Finally!"

* * *

"Alright, the last girl, if you'd please?" Mr Ollivander asked. Sakura stepped forwards. 

"Left or right hander?"

"Right," Sakura replied.

Mr Ollivander nodded. He turned around to browse through the countless number of boxes. Movement at the highest shelf caught his eye, and he saw that it was a black box, similar to the one that contained Sasuke's wand, that had magically pulled itself out. He frowned thoughtfully and made a grab for it.

'Strange…' he thought as he examined the box and the wand inside it. He turned around very slowly and placed it on the counter top.

"This box had somehow pulled itself out - " Naruto had to stop his fit of laughter. "So I decided it wouldn't harm – or maybe, a more proper term, kill me, to see if this wand fits you," Mr Ollivander said. "Eleven and a half inches, Holly, a single feather from the tail of a legendary black phoenix." Sasuke, Naruto and Neji raised an eyebrow.

She reached out to take hold of the handle. But as her fingers neared the rubber handle, she accidentally let out a small amount of chakra from her fingertips. That was enough to cause some sparks to fly. As in, literally. Black and pink sparks erupted from the wand just as her fingertips grazed against it. The moment her small hand wrapped itself around the handle, a silver glow erupted from the tip of the wand and covered her petite body. When the light spread to her back, glowing, white wings unfolded itself, the feather tips nearly touching the other end of the shop. The lights in the shop seemed to have dimmed, because Sakura seemed to be brighter than anything else in the shop and everything else outside.

"Whoa…" uttered Naruto in amazement, his face illuminated by the light.

Neji let out a low whistle, his pale, silver eyes sparkling even more.

Sasuke gazed at Sakura with an unreadable expression, his hands shoved into his pockets.

Kakashi stared at his only female student and inwardly smiled.

The silver glow quickly disappeared in a sudden flash of blinding, silver light. The wings on her back dissipated in a flurry of silver feathers, which swirled around her for a moment before disappearing completely.

"Strange… very strange…" Mr Ollivander said mistily, averting his gaze from Sakura to Sasuke and back again.

"What's strange, sir?" Sakura asked.

"That wand, the feather from a black phoenix," he began. He darted his eyes from a confused Sakura to a mildly curious Sasuke.

"It's the same phoenix I got the feather from for your friend's wand."

* * *

"Oooo… cool shop…" Naruto said, as he went around the shop, cerulean eyes sparkling with delight. 

He, Sakura, Sasuke and Neji were in a pet shop called Magical Menagerie which sold owls, toads, rats, and much more. There weren't many people around in the shop. It was pretty much deserted, except for them and a ratty-looking shopkeeper. Kakashi had gone to the bank to get more money for them to buy their stuff.

"What are you guys planning on getting?" Sakura asked as she stroked a tawny brown owl. Neji shrugged.

"I dunno, an owl, I guess," he said. His clear eyes caught something and walked towards the owl swiftly. It was a snowy white owl with brown streaks down its wings.

"I think I'm getting this one," the Hyuuga prodigy said, with the owl perched on his shoulder. The three shinobi suddenly heard a squeal of delight coming from the toad section. Sakura, Neji and Sasuke averted their attention to the elated blonde.

"What's up, Naruto?" Sakura asked as she approached her team mate. Naruto spun around, a foxy grin plastered to him face, and an orange toad on his palm.

"Can I get this?! Please?!" Naruto asked, giving Sakura the puppy pout.

"Urgh… Yeah, sure." Naruto gave an excited squeal and hugged Sakura tightly, who growled, fist already clenching.

"Naruto…" she said warningly.

"Er… Right!!" Naruto quickly pulled away from Sakura, who looked murderous. She huffed and stormed towards the cats section.

Almost half an hour later, the four of them gathered back in front of the counter.

Neji had the same snowy bird with the brown streaks down its wings perched on his shoulder. Sasuke, too, had gotten an owl. His had midnight black feathers. Naruto had gotten the orange toad and it was resting on his palm rather heavily. A completely white Persian cat with bright jade eyes was snuggled comfortably in Sakura's arms.

"Done paying?" Sakura asked her male companions. Sasuke and Neji gave a curt nod while Naruto nodded enthusiastically with a foxy grin plastered on his face.

'Alright, let's go back to the inn."

* * *

"Ahh… this is the life…" Naruto sighed as he landed face-first on his bed. Sakura, Sasuke and Neji rolled their eyes. 

"Whaddaya reckon we'd be doing tomorrow?" Sakura asked no one in particular. Sasuke gave a half shrug. He was lying on his bed with an arm behind his head and his free hand twirling his new wand between his fingers.

"I dunno. Maybe we'll be going to the school tomorrow," suggested Neji, flicking his wand with mild interest. Sakura jumped when the fire in the fireplace suddenly burst upwards, slightly burning the ceiling.

"Neji! Don't _do_ that!" Sakura cried out.

"Hn."

"What are you guys naming your pets?"

"I'm naming mine... GAMA!!!" Naurto shouted excitedly, holding his toad in one hand. Sakura, Neji and Sasuke sweat-dropped.

"Okay... what about you, Neji, Sasuke?"

"Hanshou," Sasuke said monotonously.

"Sora," Neji said, half shrugging.

"What about you, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked the pink-haired kunoichi. She shrugged.

"I'm thinking... Yuki?"

"Oh... ok..."

A few minutes of comfortable silence swept by.

"Hey - " Naruto began, but the lamp next to him suddenly exploded. He turned and glared at the Uchiha, who smirked at him. "As I was saying before I was _rudely interrupted_ - " he shot a glare at Sasuke and threw a pillow at him. "Where's Kakashi?" Naruto asked, and got hit in the face with a pillow Sasuke had thrown, causing him to fall backwards, off the bed and onto the carpeted ground.

Sakura shrugged. "Don't know."

"BASTARD!!!" A fuming Naruto sprang to his feet, a pillow clutched tightly in his hands. Not a moment too soon, the pillow was out of his hands and soaring through the air towards the Sharingan wielder. It caught him square in the face.

"Dobe…" said an irritated Sasuke, his voice was clearly one of compressed anger.

"Guys…" Sakura said, her emerald eyes darting between Naruto and Sasuke. Neji tugged her wrist, which was about the only thing he could reach from his position on the couch.

"Let 'em have a go at each other. I'm bored anyway," he said lazily. Sakura shot him an 'I-can't-believe-you!' look but plopped down onto her own bed nonetheless.

And soon enough, a war which consisted of flying pillows and non-sensible insults is initiated.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I know the wands an' everything is very corny and cheesy and whatever, but I really had no more ideas!! The real action will start in the chapter where they meet the wizards, which would be next chapter, hopefully. 

By the way, for those people who don't know the meanings for the pet names, they are:

_Hanshou _- Midnight

_Sora_ - Sky

_Gama_ -Toad

_Yuki_- Snow

Please review! I haven't been getting any nowadays... -sigh- I need motivation, people!!! By the way, I won't update till I get a total of 50 reviews! (I know I'm evil)

Till then, Ja!


	4. Sasuke's Apology:The Hogwarts Express

**Author's Note**: Hey people!! It's 3 in the morning right now and I had to spend a freaking hour trying to figure out how to end the chapter. I'm extremely sorry for the very long wait. School's started and it's making me sleep early every single day. I couldn't sleep today for some weird reason so I decided to just finish up the chapter. I want to thank all my wonderful reviewers and hope that you will continue reading and reviewing my story.

Oh, and Sasuke may seem OOC at some parts of the story. Especially the beginning. I seriously couldn't think of a better start!!

So, I hope you guys like this chapter... (Dudes/dudettes, I'm risking my computer by posting.)

* * *

Come on everybody stand up  
Agero kyou ichiban no jikan da  
Me ni mo tomoran no speed wo handa  
Dare mo nobinattori ko kanba yeah 

Come on everybody hands up  
Mata ashita no heroes wa comeback  
Tsuujou kazoe hibi wo countdown  
Let's go, 3-2-1 make some noise!!

* * *

Sakura woke up with a jolt, breathing heavily. She jackknifed to a sitting position, a thin layer of sweat covering her small form. Look around with glistening emerald eyes, she saw that it was still dark, and her companions for the mission were still asleep. Naruto was snoring very loudly, Neji was in deep slumber, an arm thrown casually over his head, and Sasuke wasn't making a sound, his back facing her.

Still breathing heavily, she cursed and threw her head onto her hands, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall.

It's always the same dream! It's the same dream that's been haunting her ever since… he left her. But he came back, didn't he? He promised he wouldn't run away like the last time, didn't he? Why is it always the same thing; her team mates and her teacher materializing in front of her, saying hurtful and heart-breaking words to her, and then she'd just wake up, crying for some unknown reason. She didn't want to cry. She didn't _need_ to cry. There's no point in that. What do those dreams mean anyway? He's back now, and that's all that matters.

"Hey, you okay?" a familiar and deep voice said, sounding a little sleepy and tired. Sakura lifted her head so quickly that she could she white stars for a moment before she could focus on the dark figure of Sasuke, who was looking at her with… _Is that concern in his eyes? _

"S-sasuke?" she stuttered, hurriedly wiping away the tears that had managed to escape her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked again, sounding more awake this time. He examined her trembling form through the darkness.

"N-nothing. I'm f-fine," Sakura replied, trying to sound firm and steady, but failing miserably. The tears and glistening eyes gave it away, though.

"You don't sound okay." And with that, he threw the covers off him and walked over to her bed and sat down in front of her. He made sure to make as little noise as possible, so that neither Neji nor Naruto will wake up. Naruto's fluent string of snores signified that Sasuke had been successful.

The kunoichi could only lower her head as she felt hot tears sting her eyes for no apparent reason.

"What's wrong?" the Uchiha asked softly, his voice was like autumn leaves dropping onto the ground.

"I-I told you, it's n-nothing," Sakura replied feebly. Sasuke gazed at her shaking form with unreadable and scrutinizing onyx eyes.

"I'm going to stay here until you tell me what's wrong," Sasuke said, crossing his arms over his chest. Sakura looked up and blinked at him. Onyx bore into emerald.

Finally, unable to stand Sasuke's unwavering gaze, Sakura looked away and mumbled something under her breath.

"What? I didn't catch that," Sasuke said.

"I had a nightmare!!" Sakura squeaked, clutching the covers in an attempt to dam up her tears from falling freely. Realizing that she just admitted she was crying because of a nightmare, she looked away, whispering, "Sorry…"

Sasuke felt a pang of regret and guilt at his heart. _He_ was the one who caused her all that pain and hurt. _He_ was the one who knocked her out and left her on a cold stone bench. _He_ was the one who rejected and said hurtful words to her ever since they became a team. _He_ was the one who broke her heart time and time again.

Reaching out, he slid a strong arm around her small shoulders and another around her waist, pulling her close to his chest.

Sakura stiffened and could only stare over Sasuke's shoulder, dumbstruck, as she felt the heat rise to her face.

"No, Sakura," Sasuke whispered huskily to her ear, his warm breath on her neck sending shivers down her spine. The good kind, mind you.

"_I'm_ sorry."

* * *

"I don't see platform nine and three quarters anywhere," Naruto said, his head only a blur of yellow from turning around too fast, making Sakura feel queasy watching him. 

"Don't be stupid, stupid. The platform's right over – Hey I don't see the platform anywhere," Neji drawled, dark brows furrowing whenever someone accidentally bumped onto him. Sasuke made a small noise of annoyance when another girl squealed her head off at the sight of him.

The Konoha shinobi were in the train station, where mobs of people where bustling around, trying to get to their platforms. The four ninjas were standing in the middle of the station, where people walking past could stare at them openly. It's not everyday you see a pink-haired girl, a white-eyed boy, a fox-like and bright boy, a raven-haired boy whose hair just defies gravity, two hooting and screeching owls, an orange toad which always managed to squeeze its way out of its master's grab, a well-behaved white cat, and four large trunks which look like it's three times heavier than them.

Sakura scanned through the piece of paper held in her hands, running her finger lightly across the words as she read them.

_Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Neji,_

_I won't be able to come today to guide you to the platform; I'm told to follow Harry on his way to the train station, in order to make sure no one's following him. I left a portkey next to this letter. It'll bring you to the train station. Be sure to hold on to it before 9.50 am._

_Once you reach the train station, you'll have to go to platform nine and three quarters. Walk through the pillar in between platforms nine and ten. When you're walking through the pillar, don't feel any fear, or you'll crash into a solid brick wall. And don't let any non-magical people notice you. Non-magical people aren't supposed to know that wizards and magic exist. Okay, after you walk through the pillar, platform nine and three quarters will materialize in front of you. There would be only one train there, so it won't be a problem for you to find it. Board the Hogwarts Express, that would be the train's name, Naruto (Naruto: How'd he know that I didn't know?!). Find an empty compartment and start planning on what you guys are going to do for the mission, like, how you're going to protect Harry, etc, etc. Make sure no one finds out that you are ninjas or that you are here to protect Harry. The only one in the school who knows that is the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. _

_Also, if anything goes wrong, DON'T USE ANY TYPE OF NINJUTSU!! You may use Genjutsu or Taijutsu if you are in big trouble. And if things go out of hand, you may use a D or C ranked Ninjutsu. That would only be as a last resort. If it's just a minor setback, use your wands. – _

"What? We don't even know any spells!" Sakura pointed out, but the next line in Kakashi's letter told her that Kakashi, as lazy and laid-back as he was, had thought of that problem.

_- I know that you guys know nuts about magic, so I'll just put down some spells I know from the magic books Tsunade forced me to read. Here are a few basic and simple spells:_

_Accio; a summoning charm._

_Aguamenti; a spell where a controllable jet of water comes out from the end of your wand._

_Alohomora; a spell used to unlock doors or windows._

_Anapneo; used to clear the airways of someone so that they can breath properly._

_Avis; conjures up a flock of birds. I don't know how that would help, but it could be used as a diversion._

_Colloportus; used to seal doors. However, it can easily be countered with Alohomora._

_Cofundus; used to confuse someone or something, to make them believe what you want them to believe._

_Densaugeo; a spell which enlarges the victim's teeth._

_Diffindo; rips things open or separates things. _

_Engorgio; enlarges things. – _

"Enlarges… Things...? What kind of things?" Neji said, a perverted smirk on his face. Naruto looked confused for a moment before his foxy face broke into a grin. Sasuke stared at the letter for a moment before a hint of a smirk made its way to his features.

"PERVERTS!!!!" Sakura hissed, glaring at her male team mates. "I could make something of yours larger too, if I wanted to." Sakura winked. The three boys suddenly stopped laughing and gaped at Sakura, who only looked slyly at them before turning back to the letter.

_- Ennervate; revived someone who got the stunning spell cast on them._

_Evanesco; to make objects vanish._

_Expecto Patronum; creates some kind of shield so that magical creatures called Dementors can't attack you. Not an easy spell to master._

_Expelliarmus; a spell which knocks the victim's wand out of his or her hand. Particularly useful in this world._

_Ferula; conjures up splints and bandages. But I'm sure Sakura could do better than splints and bandages._

_Finite; to remove the effects of a spell._

_Finite incantatem; removes the effects of all the spells currently cast._

_Flagrate; used to draw a line of fire._

_Furnunculus; makes the victim's body break out in boils. _

_Immobulus; to stop an object from moving._

_Impedimenta; to stop or slow down something or someone._

_Incarcerous; to summon ropes which will bind the victim._

_Incendo; to create fire. But this fire is nothing compared to a fire element Ninjutsu, B ranked or not._

_Inanimatus Conjurus; conjures inanimate objects._

_Lumos; produces light from the end of your wand._

_Nox; a counter spell for Lumos, extinguishes the light produced by the spell 'Lumos'._

_Oppugno; causes something to attack a target chosen by the caster._

_Petrificus Totalus; renders the victim temporarily unable to move._

_Point Me; this will make your wand act like a compass._

_Protego; a shield charm to protect you from minor and moderate hexes and jinxes._

_Reducio; causes an object to shrink._

_Reducto; used to blast solid objects into pieces. _(Sasuke: Cool. I can blast Naruto's brain if I wanted to. Wait, he doesn't have one.)

_Relashio; creates heat from the end of the wand. Sparks would burst from the wand tip as a result._

_Reparo; mends objects._

_Scourgify; used to clean something up. _

_Serpentsotia; creates a snake from your wand. Don't know how it helps, but I thought Sasuke might like it._

_Silencio; causes anything or anyone to fall silent when the spell is cast upon them. _

_Stupefy; a stunning spell. _

_Wringadium Leviosa; causes an object to levitate and manipulated in the air by the caster._

_That's all I can remember. In order to cast the spells, focus your chakra to the wand._

_Remember: Keep your identities a secret. I suggested changing your names, but Tsunade said that you guys can handle yourselves, real names or not. _

_Keep in touch. Send either Hanshou or Sora if you ever want to ask me anything. If anything urgent comes up, or you want to speak to me immediately, ask Dumbledore. _

_Tell me everything that's going on in Hogwarts. Take it as a weekly report._

_I have to go now. Tsunade's drinking again. _

_Ja!_

_Kakashi_

"Okay, so we're supposed to walk through a pillar? What's he playing at?" Neji said incredulously. All four of them simultaneously turned around and looked at the red brick pillar between platforms nine and ten.

"That pillar looks… _solid_," the blonde kitsune added, rubbing the back of his neck.

"That's why it's called a pillar, Naruto," Sakura said with an air of impatience.

"Who's going first?" Sasuke asked, examining the pillar casually with sharp obsidian eyes.

"Maybe we should go in pairs…" Neji suggested.

"Good idea. Who's with who?" Sakura looked around.

Neji shrugged.

Sasuke remained silent.

Naruto opened his mouth to say something, but Sakura beat him to it.

"I'll go with Neji and you can go with Sasuke bye!" she said in one breath, grabbed Neji's hand with one hand while the other had a tight hold on Yuki's cage and her trunk.

"Wha-?" the Hyuuga prodigy managed to say before he was practically being hauled through the pillar.

Naruto quirked an eyebrow, his mouth still half open. Sasuke frowned.

"Whassup with that?" Naruto asked, jabbing a thumb in the direction of Sakura's and Neji's retreating figures.

"Hn."

What the Sharingan wielder didn't notice was how his grip on his trunk tightened at the sight of Sakura's hand in Neji's.

* * *

"I don't see any empty compartments. Won't your stupid toad ever shut up?" Sasuke glowered at the croaking and slimy bundle in Naruto's hand. Naruto whipped his head around to glare at Sasuke. 

"Bastard! At least my pet is cute, unlike yours!" the blonde retaliated, huffing.

"Cute? That thing? Nothing orange is cute, idiot," Sasuke drawled, onyx eyes shifting left and right, searching for an empty compartment.

"Agreed," Neji said monotonously, sparing Naruto a disgusted glance.

"Actually…" Sakura began hesitantly. "I disagree."

Neji, Sasuke and Naruto froze in their tracks. Neji and Sasuke had incredulous looks on their usually stoic face, while Naruto's face had broken into a wide grin.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked darkly, his hand trembling slightly.

"Huh? Oh! N-no! I don't mean it that way!" Sakura said hurriedly, shaking her head, making her pink bangs sway around. Naruto's grin faltered. "I meant, nothing orange and blonde is cute."

Naruto fell into anime tears, Neji let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he watched Sakura shrug and grin mischievously at her blonde team mate.

"C'mon, guys. I found a compartment," Neji said.

* * *

After stowing away their trunks and placing the cages containing their pets on the empty seats next to them, all four shinobi threw themselves onto the cushioned seats, facing each other. Sasuke sat next to the window, with Sakura sitting next to him. Neji sat opposite Sasuke while Naruto sat next to him. 

"So what's the plan?" Sakura asked, leaning forward slightly. Next to her, Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back, emotionless onyx eyes discreetly watching the pink-haired kunoichi.

"For starters, we could start getting to know Harry. If I'm not wrong, he's fought with that Voldemort guy before. We might be able to learn more things about Voldemort," Neji said, frowning very slightly in concentration.

"Hmm… Good idea," Sakura muttered distractedly, watching out of the window of the compartment door, as huge mobs of people walked pass, talking and laughing merrily with one another.

Sakura blinked as the door suddenly slid open. The other three boys in the compartment turned their heads to see…

Kakashi standing at the door holding his perverted book in one hand while the other is stuffed casually into his pocket.

"Yo."

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke said, glaring at his teacher.

"Ah… welcoming as ever, Sasuke," Kakashi said as he slid the door close behind him, where people were starting to stare at the weirdly clad jounin. Sasuke ignored him.

"I just wanted to tell you guys that you aren't allowed to bring weapons to the school."

"WHAT?!?!?!" were Naruto's and Sakura's immediate reactions. Neji and Sasuke quirked their eyebrows; their gesture of faint surprise.

"What do you mean - !?!"

"How're we supposed to - !?"

Kakashi sighed.

"I know, I know. Dumbledore allowed you bring a few, just in case. He doubts that you'll ever need it anyways. And hide your weapons somewhere people can't find it and kill themselves accidentally," Kakashi drawled.

Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and Neji caught each other's gazes for a moment before reluctantly unstrapping the kunai holster from their thighs. Sasuke swiftly stowed a few shuriken and a kunai in the side pocket of his cargos. Naruto slid two kunai into his pocket and Neji kept a few shuriken in his side pocket, just like how Sasuke did. Sakura just slid a kunai into the side of each of her boots.

The four young ninjas looked up at Kakashi as he gave a curt nod.

"Right. I'll be off then. Ja!"

With a poof, Kakashi disappeared in a puff of white smoke.

* * *

The rain became heavier and heavier as the train moved further north. The sky was so dark and the windows so steamy that the lanterns were lit by midday. The lunch trolley came rattling along the corridor, and Harry bought a large stack of Cauldron Cakes for him, Ron and Hermione to share. 

Several of their friends looked in on them as the afternoon progressed, including Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas and Neville Longbottom, a round-faced, extremely forgetful boy who had been brought up by his formidable witch of a grandmother.

After half an hour or so of Quidditch talk, Hermione got bored and began practicing Summoning Charm.

Neville listened jealously to the others' conversation as they relieved the Cup match.

"Gran didn't want to go," he said miserably. "Wouldn't buy tickets. It sounded amazing, though."

"It was," said Ron. "Look at this, Neville…"

He rummaged in his trunk up in the luggage rack, and pulled out the miniature figurine of Viktor Krum.

"Oh, wow," said Neville enviously, as Ron tipped Krum onto his pudgy hand.

"We saw him right up close, as well," said Ron. "We were in the Top Box - "

"For the first and last time in your life, Weasley."

Draco Malfoy had appeared in the doorway. Behind him stood Crabbe and Goyle, his enormous, thuggish cronies, both of whom appeared to have grown at least a foot during the summer. Evidently they had overheard the conversation through the compartment door, which Dean and Seamus had left ajar.

"Don't remember asking you to join us, Malfoy," said Harry coolly.

"Weasley, what is _that_?" said Malfoy, pointing at the cage which contained Ron's tiny owl, Pigwigdeon. A sleeve of Ron's dress robes was dangling from it, swaying with the motion of the train; the mouldy lace cuff was very obvious.

Ron made to stuff the robes out of sight, but Malfoy was too quick for him; he seized the sleeve and pulled.

"Look at this!" said Malfoy in ecstasy, holding up Ron's robes and showing Crabbe and Goyle. "Weasley, you weren't thinking of wearing these, were you? I mean – they were very fashionable in about 1890…"

"Eat dung, Malfoy!" said Ron, the same colour as the dress robes as he snatched them back out of Malfoy's grip. Draco howled with derisive laughter; Crabbe and Goyle guffawed stupidly.

"So…going to enter, Weasley? Going to try and bring a little glory to the family name? There's money involved as well, you know… you'd be able to afford some decent robes if you won…"

"What are you talking about?" Ron snapped.

"Are you going to enter?" Malfoy repeated. "I suppose _you_ will, Potter? You never miss a chance to show off, do you?"

"Either explain what you're talking about or get out of here, Malfoy," said Hermione testily. A gleeful smile spread across Malfoy's pale face.

"Don't tell me you _don't_ know?" he said delightedly. "You've got a father and brother in the Ministry and you don't even know? My god, my father told me about it ages ago… heard it from Cornelius Fudge. But them, Father's always been associated with the top people at the Ministry… maybe your father's too junior to know about it, Weasley… yes… they probably don't talk about important stuff in front of him…"

Laughing once more, Malfoy beckoned to Crabbe and Goyle, and the three of them disappeared.

Ron got to his feet and slammed the sliding compartment door so hard that the glass shattered.

"Ron!" Hermione said reproachfully, and she pulled out her wand, muttered, 'Reparo!' and the glass shards flew back into a single pane, and back into the door.

"Well… making it look like he knows everything and we don't…" Ron snarled. "_Father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry_… Dad could've gotten a promotion any time… he just likes it where he is…"

"Of course he does," said Hermione quietly. "Don't let Malfoy get to you, Ron - "

"Him! Get to me! As if!" said Ron, picking up one of the remaining Cauldron Cakes and squashing it into a pulp.

The compartment door slid open again. Harry whirled around, ready to snap at Malfoy. However, all words were stuck in his throat as he stared at the female standing at the doorway. She looked about his age and had the most unusual hair Harry had ever seen. Her hair was a paler shade of pink, bangs framing her heart-shaped face. Her pink locks seemed to spike at the end. Her sparkling and emerald orbs seemed to radiate some kind of warmth. A silver necklace glinted on her neck. Her attire was definitely much more different than the students around there. Her light pink hoodie looked a size too big, and her ruffled white miniskirt barely covered her thighs. Black, combat knee length boots covered her feet and slender calves. (Harry swore he could see something silver in those boots.) Ron's jaw went slack and the squashed cake rolled off his hand, unnoticed. Hermione rolled her eyes and muttered a spell which cleaned up the cake.

"Um… Hi, I'm - "

* * *

" – Sakura Haruno." 

The kunoichi smiled shyly at the two boys gaping at her and the bushy haired girl who just smiled kindly back.

"Hi. I'm Hermione Granger. He's Ron Weasley - ," the bushy haired girl nudged the red head boy next to her sharply in the ribs. The boy snapped out of his reverie and gave a feebly wave.

" – And he's… Harry Potter," Hermione continued proudly, looking at Sakura expectantly, at the same time, tilting her head towards the boy with unruly jet black hair. Sakura merely turned slightly to look at Harry, her gaze drifting from his black hair, to his scar, to his jade eyes.

'_He's the one_,' inner Sakura said immediately.

Sakura smiled and nodded at him before turning to Hermione and saying, "Me and my friends heard some commotion going on in this compartment and were wondering what was happening. Our compartment is next to yours."

"Oh! I'm really sorry if we disturbed you. Someone - " Hermione threw a glare at Ron. " – here has some problems controlling his temper."

Sakura looked at Ron and grinned at him.

"It's okay. Well, I'll just go back to my compartment then. Nice meeting you guys." Sakura smiled at Harry, Hermione and Ron before sliding the compartment door close.

"Blimey, who on earth was that? She must be a Veela or something!" Ron muttered, awed and his eyes wide.

"No, Ron," Hermione said exasperatedly. "I don't see Harry drooling like an – Harry?"

Harry reluctantly tore his gaze from the door which that pink-haired girl just left through.

"H-huh? Oh, right. Er, yeah," he said distractedly.

"The weird thing is - "

"ARGH!!" someone yelled from outside the compartment.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Ron said, getting up as Harry got up and slid the door open with a confused expression. The trio stuck their heads out of the compartment, to see other student in that area do the same, with the same confused expression.

'_What's up?'_

'_What's going on?'_

'_What's with all the racket?'_

'_Who's that on the ground?'_

'_Hey isn't that - ?'_

"Malfoy?" Harry said incredulously. The Slytherin blonde was lying on the ground in front of the compartment next to Harry's. What seemed like blue streaks of electricity crackled around his chest. Crabbe and Goyle were standing, dumbstruck, next to the unconscious Malfoy. Harry's eyes drifted from Malfoy to the wand sticking out of the compartment next to them. The tip of the wand had streaks of blue electricity erupting from it and traveling around the hand holding it. Harry adjusted his position so that he could see the owner of the wand.

He heard Hermione stifle a gasp behind him. The boy holding the wand had to be around their age. He had pale but not sickly skin, raven-coloured hair which seemed to fall upwards, bangs framing his face, and cold, piercing onyx eyes which were currently regarding Malfoy with such intensity that it could possibly have won Snape's glare hands down. His smirk screamed 'bad-ass!!' and his body posture was calm and almost lazy.

"I told you," the boy began, in a deep and low voice which sent shivers down Harry's spine. In fact, it sent shivers down Neville's, Dean's, Seamus's, Fred's, George's and Lee's spines. All six of them happened to be next to that compartment. Harry even saw a few girls he didn't know shudder slightly. Well, most of them drooled.

"Not to mess with my friend," the boy continued, not lowering his hand which held the wand. Malfoy's cronies exchanged shocked looks before their faces suddenly scrunched up in anger. Both pulled up their sleeves and advanced towards the raven-haired boy. A few girls who were watching gasped while others darted their eyes from the boy to Crabbe and Goyle.

"Dang, when will you idiots learn?" the boy said, annoyed. He lifted his hand higher, ready to cast a spell.

"_Petrificus Totalus_!"

"_Densaugeo_!"

"_Furnunculus_!"

"_Avis_!"

No sooner than the four different voices had yelled, four jets of different coloured lights erupted from three different directions; two from inside the compartment, one from the left side of the corridor and the other on the other side of the corridor. The spells reached their target at the same time and collided in a shower of sparks.

Crabbe and Goyle suddenly froze, then their teeth enlarged rapidly, and their bodies broke out in boils. And the grand finale; a flock of birds appeared.

Everyone who was watching laughed at the sight. A figure walked past Harry, his chestnut and long hair swaying slightly behind him. Another boy, a blonde with whisker marks across his cheeks, walked towards the boy with the long hair and the raven-haired boy.

"Who used that spell which conjures up a flock of birds?" the long haired boy said impassively. The other two in the compartment simultaneously turned their heads to glare at the blonde, who in turned grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head.

"What? That was the easiest spell I could think of…"

The girl from inside the compartment sighed and took a step out.

"It's the girl from before!" Ron whispered excitedly. Harry nodded and saw Dean, Seamus, Fred, George, Neville and a few other guys openly gaping at the pink-haired girl.

"C'mon. We gotta put their bodies somewhere," Sakura said, putting a hand on her hips and looking around.

"You make it sound like we killed them or something," the long haired one said stoically, nudging Goyle's arm with his foot.

"Does it even matter if we do?" the raven haired one replied.

"Good point," Sakura added, half shrugging.

"Get rid of the birds, dobe," the raven-haired one growled.

'_Dead-last_?' thought Harry.

The four of them proceeded to levitate the three unconscious boys into their compartment. It was only a few seconds before Sakura turned around and asked, "Anyone has any idea where their compartments are?"

All of them instantaneously pointed at the compartment at the very end of the train.

"Er… thanks."

* * *

After that little drama, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and Neji changed into their robes, grabbed their pets and trunks and rushed out of the train and into the rain, eyes narrowed and heads bent slightly against the downpour. 

They got on the carriages which were led by black winged and horse-like creatures. All four shinobi slowed down their pace for a moment to stare at the mysterious creatures before climbing into the carriage. The door shut with a snap, and a few moments later, with a great lurch, the long procession of carriages was rumbling and plashing its way up the track towards the huge castle. Through the gates, flanked with statues of winged boars, and up the sweeping drive the carriage trundled, swaying dangerously in what was fast becoming a gale. Leaning against the windows, the shinobi could see the castle coming nearer, its many lighted windows blurred and shimmering behind the thick curtain of rain. Lighting flashed across the sky as their carriage came to a halt before the great oak doors, which stood at the top of a flight of stone steps.

"What is this place?" Naruto muttered, awed.

"It's the school, Naruto," Sakura replied, sounding amazed herself.

"It's Hogwarts."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Okay, if you wanna tell me that the ending was retarded or the whole freaking chapter was retarded, don't bother, cause I already know. I swear the next chapter won't have a stupid beginning. I was thinking of continueing the chapter till the end of Dumbledore's speech. But I was too tired and you guys waited too long. 

Just read and Review, ne? I'm not gonna update till I get 80+ reviews... I'm evil. I know.

Now, for some sleep.

Ja!


	5. Shinobi Sorting:Meeting Moody

**Author's Note**: Yo people! I've finally updated! Hell yeah!! i'm really sorry for the late update. School's been getting in the way. The only thing that kept me going to type this out tonight was the fact that I'm going to watch Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix tomorrow. Haha.

This chapter is all about the ninjas getting sorted and stuff. I know the Sorting Hat doesn't really say all those stuff but I just had to put it there, kay? So there it is.

Btw, this fic is a definite SasuSakura, eventhough I do adore the NejiSaku pairing.

Enjoy.

* * *

Come on everybody stand up  
Agero kyou ichiban no jikan da  
Me ni mo tomoran no speed wo handa  
Dare mo nobinattori ko kanba yeah 

Come on everybody hands up  
Mata ashita no heroes wa comeback  
Tsuujou kazoe hibi wo countdown  
Let's go, 3-2-1 make some noise!!

* * *

"First-years, here!" called out an old but stern-looking lady in black robes. Her grey hair was pulled into a tight bun at the back of her head. She gathered the first-years in front of her. When she caught sight of the four shivering shinobi, she said, "You four! Come here, quick! It's time to get you sorted!" 

"That was one heck of a downpour," Neji muttered, rubbing his hands together in an attempt to warm himself up as they slipped and slid across the Great Hall.

"Well, at least we don't look like a blob of black goo. The younger ones do," Sasuke said, jabbing a thumb in the direction of the first years. If Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and Neji were wet, it was nothing to how the first-years looked. They looked like they were thrown head-first into the huge lake the shinobi had seen outside the castle.

"Hurry up please, those at the back!"

* * *

Neji let out a low whistle. 

The Great Hall, as they call it, looked absolutely splendid, decorated for some weird reason. Golden plates and goblets gleamed by the light of hundreds and hundreds of candles, floating over the tables in mid-air. The ceiling showed the weather outside; dark and stormy. There were only four long tables, which were packed with chattering students. At the top of the Great Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table, facing the students. It was much warmer in here.

The four ninjas and the first-years followed the older woman in a line behind her towards the front of the Hall. The first-years were shivering with a combination of cold and nerves as they filed along the staff table and came to a halt in a line facing the rest of the school.

The woman now placed a three-legged stool on the ground before the first-years and the shinobi and, on top of it, an extremely old, dirty, patched wizard's hat. The first-years stared at it. The ninjas stared at it. So did everyone else. For a moment, there was silence. Then a tear near the brim opening wide like a mouth, and the hat broke into a song:

_A thousand years or more ago,_

(Sasuke: Ah… great. Singing hats. Just what we need)

_When I was newly sewn,_

_There lived four wizards of renown,_

_Whose names are still well known:_

_Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,_

_Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,_

_Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,_

_Shrewd Slytherin, from fen._

_They shared a wish, a hope, a drem,_

_They hatched a daring plan_

_To educate young sorcerers_

_Thus Hogwarts School began._

_Now each of these four founders_

_Formed their house, for each_

_Did value different virtues_

_In the ones they had to teach._

_By Gryffindor, the bravest were_

_Prized far beyond the rest._

_For Ravenclaw, the cleverest_

_Would always be the best._

_For Hufflepuff, hard workers were_

_Most worthy of admission._

_And power-hungry Slytherin_

_Loved those of great ambition._

_While still alive they did divide_

_Their favourites from the throng,_

_Yet how to pick the worthy ones_

_When they were dead and gone?_

'_Twas Gryffindor who found the way,_

_He whipped me off his head_

_The founders put some brains in me_

_So I could choose instead!_

_Now slip me snug about your ears,_

_I've never yet been wrong,_

_I'll have a look inside your mind_

_And tell where you belong!_

The Great Hall rang with applause as the hat finished singing. Naruto was clapping along with the rest of the school, while Neji was clapping hesitantly, with a confused look on his face. Sakura clapped politely while Sasuke just crossed his arm over his chest with a small 'hn'.

'It's pretty obvious which house he'll be in,' said inner Sakura, as Sakura stole a glance at the Uchiha. '_Power-hungry…_'

The kunoichi quickly looked away, clenching her fists and jaw, when the Sharingan wielder caught her looking at him.

The woman who led them here was now unrolling a large scroll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the Hat and sit on the stool," she said loudly, making sure that her voice reached the shinobi. 'When the Hat announces your house, you will go and sit at the appropriate table.

"Ackerly, Stewart!"

A boy walked forward, visibly trembling from head to foot, picked up the Sorting Hat, put in on and sat down on the stool.

"Ravenclaw!" shouted the Hat. The table full of students wearing black and blue robes applauded as the boy took off the hat and put it on the stool.

"Baddock, Malcolm!"

"Slytherin!"

The table with students wearing green and black robes erupted with cheers; the shinobi could see that blonde boy, who had tried to flirt with Sakura in the train, clapping as Baddock joined the Slytherins. A pair of red headed twins hissed Malcolm Baddock as he sat down.

"Branstone, Eleanor!"

"Hufflepuff!"

"Cauldwell, Owen!"

"Creevey, Dennis!"

A tiny boy staggered forward, tripping himself over the large cloth which hung around him, just as a man, a giant one, sidled into the Hall through the door behind the teachers' table. Sakura and Naruto, the half of the team which didn't have ego the size of Kakashi's 'Times I've been late' list, took half a step back in alarm. About twice the height of a normal man, and at least three times as broad, looked slightly frightening. He winked at someone from the table with students wearing scarlet and black robes as he sat down at the end of the staff table.

The rip at the brim opened wide –

"Gryffindor!" the Hat shouted. The Gryffindor table erupted with cheers as the small boy scurried towards the table.

The Sorting continued; boys and girls with varying degrees of fright on their faces moving, one by one, to the three-legged stool, the line dwindling slowly as the lady passed the 'L's.

"Guys," Naruto said abruptly.

"Hm?"

"What do we do if we get into different houses?" the blonde kitsune asked.

"I sense intense rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin," Neji stated, shrugging slightly as the name, 'Montez, Clair!' was called out.

"Hand me your headbands. We shouldn't wear this in this school," Sakura said, already untying her headband from her hair.

"What-?!" Naruto said loudly, before Sakura slapped her hand onto his mouth, and Sasuke instinctively smacked the blonde on the side of the head.

"The symbol of Konoha might be recognized," Sakura explained, watching Sasuke stuff his headband into the pocket of his robes. Naruto huffed but did the same nonetheless.

Neji, however, looked uneasy.

"What's up?" Sakura asked.

"I can't… take off this headband…" Neji uttered, barely above a whisper.

"What? Why not?" Sakura inquired, in the midst of tying her plain black headband onto her hair.

"The Hyuuga Seal…" he trailed off. Sakura stiffened.

"Oh… but we have to take that headband off somehow..."

Neji turned away, eyes closed. He lifted his hands, about to untie the knot of the headband at the back of his head. "I'll just take this off then. I wouldn't want to jeopardize the mission."

Sakura's eyes widened in alarm. "Wait, No! Don't Neji! You can have my headband, just don't risk… letting people see… it…" Sakura held out the strip of black cloth. The Hyuuga looked at the headband, then at Sakura.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah! I don't really need it anyway…" Sakura grinned, urging him to take the headband.

"Just take Sakura's, Hyuuga," Sasuke suddenly said, arms crossed.

"If you say so…"

He took the black cloth from Sakura, and in under five seconds, had his head band off and replaced it with Sakura's. Just as Neji finished putting away his headband into his robe pocket, the voice of the Head Master boomed throughout the Great Hall.

"All of you must be wondering who these four foreign students are."

The effect was instantaneous. Almost everyone started whispering excitedly to their friends, pointing at the shinobi. Most of the girl population were practically drooling over Sasuke and some were drooling and squealing over Neji. Practically the entire male population of students were gazing dazedly at the kunoichi. As the buzzing and chatter grew louder, almost deafening, Dumbledore raised a hand calmly, and the entire Hall fell silent again.

"These students," he began, indicating to the four ninjas in front of him. "Are from Japan. They're here for a student exchange program I'm trying out. So I do hope you will help to get them accustomed to the castle and lessons, and also ensure that that they will have a comfortable stay here. For now, let's get them sorted," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling as he beamed at the shinobi, a knowing look on his face.

The stern-looking lady unrolled a piece of parchment, and cleared her throat.

"Haruno, Sakura," she said loudly and clearly. From the back of the group of ninjas, Sakura walked gracefully pass her team mates and Neji, with Naruto shooting her his trademark grin, Sasuke giving her his infamous smirk and Neji patted her back lightly as she passed. She smiled feebly at them before climbing up the steps, walking towards the three-legged stool and picking up the dirty Hat. Hundreds and hundreds pairs of eyes followed her every movement as she sat down on the stool and lowered the Hat onto her pink-haired head. With one last reassuring look from her team mates, she placed it on her head, letting it rest on her ears.

"_A female ninja, I see…_" a deep voice suddenly said in Sakura's head.

"_Who the heck are you?_!" inner Sakura demanded.

"_How'd you know I'm a ninja?"_ Sakura thought.

"_I know everything that's in your mind, m'dear girl. But I would not read anything that is not for me to see. I just need to know if you have the qualities for any of the houses_."

Sakura let out a sigh or relief.

"_Ah… a very aggressive inner self you have…_" the Hat said, sounding like he was making a decision.

"_Aggressive? Aggressive?! Who're you calling aggressive?_!" inner Sakura fumed.

"_Hmm… you're a brave one… very brave…_" the Hat pondered.

"_Brave? Me?_" Sakura thought, almost laughing derisively.

"_You're the bravest person I've ever read the mind of. You were the one who wasn't one bit hesitant to stand between your two best friends and take the hit for the both of them. You were the one who fought till the end, just to protect your friends. You were the one who faced your fears, and got back what was very dear to you. You were the one who didn't care if you died, just as long as your loved ones are safe. Even when you knew you were weak, you fought your fears, worked hard, and in the end, you've finally gained respect…_"

"_They respect me just because I'm the Hokage's apprentice_." Sakura deadpanned.

"_Trust…_"

"_It's because they think the Hokage trusts me, too_." the kunoichi reasoned stubbornly.

"_Acknowledgement…_"

"_I healed a Sand ninja._" Sakura faltered slightly.

"_And power_."

"Gryffindor!!" the Hat's voice boomed throughout the entire Great Hall. Deafening cheers erupted from the Gryffindor table, a few boys standing up and pumping their fists into the air while cheering. The staff members were clapping politely and one particularly large, heavily bearded man, beamed at her. Sakura quickly took off the hat, placed it on the stool, and practically glided her way down to her house table.

"Hyuuga, Neji!!"

Neji strode over to the three-legged stool and picked up the Sorting Hat. A few random fan-girls squealed. Doing the same thing Sakura did, he put the Hat on his head, letting it rest quite heavily on his ears. After that, he crossed his arms and set his lips in a grim line, pearl white eyes staring straight ahead.

"_Another ninja, I see_…" a voice which wasn't his own reverberated in his head.

"_Who're you_," Neji stated more than asked.

"_I'm the Sorting Hat and I shall be looking into your mind to see what qualities you have so that I can decide which house you should go to_," the Hat.

"_Read my - _?" Neji began.

"_I won't look into anything that I'm not supposed to be looking into_," the Hat reassured.

"_Hn. Just get on with it_."

"_Hmm… a clever one… cleverer than your female friend…_" the Hat drawled.

"_Hn_."

"_Though… your bravery exceeds your intelligence_."

"_What do you mean_?"

"_You're braver than you are clever. See, I saw a glimpse of one of your memories, where you were struggling to cling onto the little bit of life you had, just to finish off your opponent. You were a sorry excuse of a body at that moment, but you still fought through. You knew you would have died if you continued fighting, but you still fought, and fought with every bit of courage and strength left in you, until you were on the verge of death."_

"_That meant nothing! Sakura was there to heal me. Naruto was the one who brought Sasuke back and both had a terrible past. Sasuke's whole clan was killed by his own god damned brother! Naruto has the stupid fox demon in him and was always hated by the villagers! Sakura was always made fun of because of her slightly larger forehead! Yeah I know she was a crybaby at one point of time, but she was still weak then!_" Neji swore that if he was saying all that out loud, he would have been frothing in the mouth.

"_You're wrong, dear boy."_

"_What?"_

"_It was Sakura who brought him back."_

Saying that Neji was shocked was the understatement of the year.

"_S-sakura? How'd you know?" _

"_I read her mind."_

"_But that's not possible… she isn't… she couldn't be!"_

"_It is, and it was. And one more thing before I tell the whole Hall your house."_

"_What?"_

"_You, too, had a terrible past."_

"Gryffindor!!" the Sorting Hat's voice boomed over the silent Great Hall. The long table pakced with scarlet and black robed students erupted in another round of deafening cheers. Neji grabbed the Hat and roughly got it off his head. Fists clenched over a kunai handle in his robes, he marched towards the Gryffindor tables, where a good number of girls were gesturing him to sit next to them.

Dumbledore and the staff stopped clapping, the Headmaster's blue eyes twinkling. Silence fell over the Great Hall.

"Uchiha, Sasuke!"

Raven bangs swayed as he ambled his way up the steps. A good number of squealing was heard. Taking his own sweet-ass time, he slowly took out his hands from his pockets to lift the dirty wizard hat off the stool. He sat down on the three legged stool with one hand in his pocket and the other placing the Hat on his head.

"_Damn, this is gonna mess up my hair…" _Sasuke sighed inwardly.

"_Before I say anything else, I'm the Sorting Hat and I'm going to read your mind to see which house is suitable for you and I won't read anything that I shouldn't,"_ a deep voice said, as though reading a book.

"_Hn. Get a move on then,"_ Sasuke thought exasperatedly. A sound which sounded like a sigh echoed in Sasuke's head.

"_Are all you ninjas like this?"_ the Hat said.

"_Hn."_

"_Man of a few words, I see?" _

Fittingly, Sasuke remained silent, arms crossed over his chest and his face looking impassive.

"_Alright I'll just get this over with..."_

A few seconds passed in silence as the Hat looked into Sasuke's memories. Occasionally the Uchiha would see a fan-girl giggle. He entertained himself with counting the number of times a fan-girl would giggle. So far it was seventeen. In under ten seconds.

"_You betrayed your village_," the Hat said suddenly. Sasuke remained silent.

"_You hurt your best friends, almost killing them, just for more power_," the Hat continued, sounding angry for some reason.

"_Just get me into a damn house already_," Sasuke growled, a frown making its way onto his features.

"_You left the only person who could ever love you so much, on a bench in the middle of the night, just so you can leave the village for mere power by someone who is weaker than the person you wish to kill?!"_ the Hat's voice boomed in his head.

"_She was getting in the way!"_ Sasuke snapped.

"_She was what made you stronger! Your bonds are what makes you stronger!"_

"_I… know that…"_ Sasuke trailed off.

"_I would put you in Slytherin based on what I've just said, but the mere fact that you're a ninja makes you worthy of a Gryffindor." _The Hat's voice had softened considerably.

"_What has being a ninja got to do with anything?" _

"_To me, ninjas are the definition of bravery and courage. You're a powerful ninja, I can sense that the moment you put me on your head. A ninja's courage and determination is what makes a ninja a powerful one, no matter if your opponent is stronger or bigger than you. All it takes is that one spark of determination, and you'll pull through."_

Sasuke remained silent to register what the Hat just said.

"_However_," the Hat said. _"There is one thing that you need in order to be truly powerful. Something that even determination and courage can't make up for."_

"_Which would be…?"_

"_You're a clever boy, you'll be able to figure it out on your own."_

"_Wha-?"_

"_Therefore…"_

"Gryffindor!!" The Gryffindor broke into a thunderous applause as Sasuke placed the Sorting Hat on the stool. Shoving his fists into his pockets, he strode towards the Gryffindor table. A few fan-girls were hyperventilating as Sasuke walked pass them to take a seat opposite his pink-haired team mate.

'… _the only person who could ever love you so much…!_'

'It was only a stupid school girl crush. She probably got over it already.' Sasuke thought, as he gazed at the kunoichi opposite him, who was looking at the stern-looking lady.

"Uzumaki, Naruto!"

Naruto practically skipped to the three-legged stool and picked up the Hat and placed it on top of his shock of blonde hair. With a grin plastered onto his whiskered face, he sat down on the stool with much more enthusiasm than his other three friends.

"_I am the Sorting Hat and I shall be reading your mind to see which house you're suitable in,"_ a bored voice suddenly said in Naruto head. It was apparent that the Hat had memorized those lines.

"_Read - ?"_

"_I would not read anything that I shouldn't,"_ the Hat drawled.

"_Er… okay…"_ Naruto said, his grin slowly slipping off his face.

"_You must be the demon container,"_ the Hat said.

"_How'd you know?" _Naruto asked, his grin sliding off his face completely.

"… _It was just a guess, dear boy."_

"_Oh… Please don't judge me because of the demon in me!"_

"_I won't. Besides, I've looked into your past and saw that this demon in you is what made you suffer for your entire life. You've been through much more suffering than any wizard I've ever known."_

"_B-but it's all worth it now, isn't it? I have great friends I can call my family now!"_ Naruto thought.

"_Yes it is. You are definitely not made for Slytherin or Ravenclaw, nor do I think Hufflepuff is the correct house for you. So all that is left is – "_

"Gryffindor!!"

The Gryffindor table broke into thunderous cheers and applause as Naruto put on a foxy grin on his features and jogged towards the table full of cheering wizards. He grinned at his team mates as he sat down next to Sasuke, who looked as bored as ever.

"It's weird how all four of them got into Gryffindor," said a bushy-haired girl sitting next to Sasuke. Apparently she didn't notice the four shinobi were right next to her.

"HEY THERE!!!" Naruto said so abruptly and loudly that the girl jumped so badly she almost fell off the bench.

"Naruto, you idiot, you're going to kill her with that voice," Sasuke drawled, returning the glare Naruto was giving him.

"Girls aren't even going to get near you with that look on your face, bastard!" Naruto retorted. Sasuke and Naruto were engaged in such an intense glaring contest that they didn't notice Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger staring at them with bewildered looks on their faces.

"Uh… guys, quit it…" Sakura said half-heartedly, but Neji held up a hand in front of her face, telling her to stop.

"I wanna see where this fight goes," he simply said.

"What is with you and their fights??" Sakura asked, mocking an awed tone. The Hyuuga prodigy shrugged.

"It's entertaining." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"So I can't get girls near me, eh? Let's see you try to get a girl to blush," Sasuke challenged. Naruto puffed out his chest.

"That's easy! Watch and learn, bastard, watch and learn!"  
Twenty seconds later…

"So that girl slapped you?" Neji asked as Sakura tended to the bruise on Naruto's cheek. He sounded amused. Naruto sniffed comically.

"See, dobe, that's why you can never get a girlfriend," Sasuke said, smirking.

"Well, at least she did turn red…" Sakura muttered, not knowing who to root for.

"Let's see you try to get a girl to blush! You think it's so easy - " Naruto said, but Sasuke wasn't paying attention to him. Instead, he was staring at the person next to him; Sakura. Naruto's and Neji's eyes darted from Sasuke to Sakura, who were looking at each other with different expressions on their faces; Sasuke's was blank while Sakura's was turning redder by the second. In five seconds flat, Sakura was beet red. She quickly tore her gaze away from Sasuke's piercing onyx eyes.

"Hn. I got Sakura to blush," Sasuke smirked victoriously at Naruto who was gaping at Sasuke then at Sakura. Neji was trying hard to control his chuckle.

"B-but.. s-she likes you!! It's unfair!" Naruto tried to argue. Sakura shot him a glare, her face still the same colour as her hair.

"She's still red…" Sasuke drawled, resting his chin on his hand and smirking slightly at Sakura, who in turn looked away, looking hard at Dumbledore, who was making a speech. Trying to ignore the snickering Sasuke and Neji next to her, she focused on what the headmaster was saying.

"I have only two words to say to you," he told them, his deep voice echoing around the Hall. "Tuck in."

"Hear, hear!" Harry and Ron, who were next to Sakura, said loudly as the empty dishes filled magically before their eyes.

"What the bloody hell is _this_?" said Sasuke as he poked a pile of green goo on his plate with his fork.

"That's Spinach Pudding. It's really very nice, you know," said Hermione when she saw Sasuke immediately push the plate towards the blonde kitsune next to him. Naruto was practically inhaling the food. Sakura looked slightly green as she looked at all the food and had to clamp a hand over her mouth at the sight of Naruto chomping down some kind of brown substance. Neji, however, finished his plate of food, which consisted of mashed potatoes and something the shinobi didn't know. Neji stared at Sakura's plate, then at Sakura, then said, "Hey Sakura, are you gonna finish that?" Sakura instantly pushed the plate towards her long-haired team mate.

Sasuke stared in amusement as Sakura banged her forehead on the table. The bushy haired girl next to him pushed a plate of steak towards him.

"Here. It's steak. It was the only thing I could eat without throwing up the first time I came to this school," she said, avoiding eye contact with the Uchiha and her cheeks had a tint of pink. Sasuke stared at her for a moment before giving a questioning look to Sakura, who had lifted her head off the table.

"Erm… I forgot to introduce you guys to Harry, Ron and Hermione," Sakura said feebly, and Naruto actually stopped eating for a moment, with vegetables hanging from his mouth. Harry and Ron raised their heads slightly, still chewing on particularly large chunks of food.

"Er… Yeah… Guys, this is Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. I met them on the train," Sakura said, indicating to each wizard respectively.

"Hi," said Harry after swallowing a piece of steak with difficulty.

" 'i," Ron said through a sizeable piece of chicken.

"Hello," Hermione greeted politely, shooting reproachful looks at Ron.

"Harry, Ron, Hermione, this is Neji Hyuuga, Naruto Uzumaki Naruto, and Sasuke Uchiha," Sakura continued, indicating to Neji, Naruto and Sasuke.

"Yo," said Neji boredly.

"HIYA!!!" said Naruto enthusiastically.

"Hn…" muttered Sasuke.

The shinobi and wizards continued chatting over the feast, the ninjas meeting some other students as well; Fred and George Weasley, Ron's elder brothers who are twins, Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister and she was completely crushing on Sasuke, Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas and Colin and Denis Creevey, who were avid Harry Potter fans. Colin had asked Sakura for a picture.

The rain was still drumming heavily against the high, dark windows. Another clap of thunder shook the windows, and the stormy ceiling flashed, illuminating the golden plates as the remains of the first course vanished and were replaced, instantly, with puddings.

After some persuasion by Naruto, Harry and Ron, Sakura took a bite of the Treacle Tart. The three boys, together with Sasuke and Neji, stared at her expectantly. She merely shrugged and asked Sasuke to pass her more pudding.

When the puddings, too, had been demolished, and the last crumbs had faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean, Albus Dumbledore got to his feet again. The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard.

"So!" said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. "Now that we're all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few short notices."

"Mr Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."

"I don't think they even know kunai exist," muttered Sasuke.

"As ever, I would like to remind you that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third-year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the inter-house Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

"What?" Harry gasped.

Dumbledore continued, "This is due to an important event that will be taking place in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up too much of the teachers' time and energy – but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts - "

But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder, and the doors of the Great Hall banged opened.

A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled towards the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark grey hair, then began to walk up towards the teachers' table.

A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right and limped heavily towards Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. The whole Hall seemed to tense at the same time and Hermione gasped.

The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it was a face unlike any the wizards have ever seen. The ninjas, however, have seen worse, with Sakura being top medic, Naruto and Sasuke having killed Itachi together, and Neji having killed one of the Sound Five when he was younger.

The man's face looked like it had been carved out of weathered wood by somebody who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces were supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of his nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him slightly more frightening.

One of them was small, dark and beady. The other was large, round and a vivid electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye – and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all they could see was whiteness.

The stranger reached Dumbledore and started talking to him in an undertone. After a few very silent minutes, the man sat down on an empty seat in the staff table.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. "Professor Moody."

None of the staff members or students clapped except Dumbledore and a larger-than-average man. Both put their hands together and applauded, but the sound echoed dismally into the silence, and they stopped fairly quickly. Everybody else seemed too transfixed by Moody's bizarre appearance to do more than stare at him.

Moody seemed totally indifferent to his less-than-warm welcome. Ignoring the jug of juice in front of him, he reached into his traveling cloak , pulled out a hip-flash, and took a long draught from it. As he lifted his arm to drink, his cloak was pulled a few inches from the ground, and thye saw, under the table, several inches of carved wooden leg, ending in a clawed foot.

Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"As I was saying," he said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing at Moody. "We are to have the honour of hosting a very exciting event which as not been held for over a century. It is my great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogawrts this year."

"You're _joking_!" Fred Weasley said loudly. The tension that had filled the Great Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke. Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively.

"I am not joking Mr Weasley, though I did hear a good one over the holidays – "

The stern looking lady cleared her throat loudly.

"Er – Maybe this is not the time… no…" Said Dumbledore. "Where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament… well, some of you will not know what this Tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely."

"The Triwizard Tournament was first established…"

* * *

The shinobi made their way up to the entrance to Gryffindor tower, which was concealed behind a large portrait of a fat lady in a pink silk dress. 

"Password?" she asked as they approached.

"Er…"

"Balderdash," said a familiar voice behind Sakura. It was Harry. "A prefect downstairs told me." He shrugged.

The portrait swung forwards to reveal a hole in the wall, through which they all climbed. A crackling fire was warming the circular room, the common room, which was full of squashy armchairs and tables.

Hermione bid them goodnight and disappeared through the doorway to the girls' dormitory.

Neji gathered the four man team at a small dark corner of the room as soon as Harry and Ron departed for their dormitories.

"Okay team, tonight went fairly well. But I have a bad feeling about that guy with the weird eyes - "

"Professor Moody," Sakura said.

"Yeah, him. Whatever. Just keep a close eye on him, alright?"

"Hn."

"Aye, captain!"

"Got it."

Neji held out a fist. Sakura smiled and stacked hers on top of his, followed by Sasuke, then Naruto. All four of them put their free hands over Naruto's fist and flung their fists into the air at the same time.

"Goodnight, Naruto, Sasuke, Neji," said Sakura as she headed for the girls' dormitory.

"Night!" said Naruto as he bounded towards the door.

"Night," said Neji, raising his hand in a form of farewell.

"Night, Sakura," Sasuke replied, giving her one last smirk before closing the door behind him.

* * *

Author's Note: So how's it? Good? Bad? Tell me in your reviews! This is the most detailed chapter I have ever done and I did it all in one night. Jeez. 

Anyways, I have school tomorrow. So... Till next chapter!

Ja.


	6. Lessons Begin:Trelawney's Inner Eye

**Author's Note:** OMG people! I'm so sorry I haven't been updating for, like, EVER! (It's really only a month) I'm really and truly sorry!! It's not that I've lost interest in this story. In fact, I've actually planned out how it's going to end.

Anywho, this chapter is a bit... confusing. It was all done in a rush yesterday night, before my mum started screaming her butt off, telling me to sleep. I just did some minor editing on it today. There's a lil' bit of SasuSaku fluff here and there. I hope it's not too much.

Enjoy!

* * *

Come on everybody stand up  
Agero kyou ichiban no jikan da  
Me ni mo tomoran no speed wo handa  
Dare mo nobinattori ko kanba yeah

Come on everybody hands up  
Mata ashita no heroes wa comeback  
Tsuujou kazoe hibi wo countdown  
Let's go, 3-2-1 make some noise!!

* * *

"God, I look ridiculous," Neji muttered as he stared at his reflection in the full-length mirror in the dormitory he, Sasuke, Naruto, Harry and Ron shared. Their dormitory was situated at the top of the Tower. Five four-poster beds with deep crimson hangings stood against the walls, each with its owner's trunks at the foot.

"You're not the only one," Sasuke said from behind Neji. He jabbed a thumb in the direction of where his blonde team mate was struggling to put on the black shoes.

"C'mon, idiot, Harry and Ron are waiting for us in the Common Room," said Neji as he slipped on his scarlet and black robes while opening the door. Sasuke headed out and down the stairs, followed by Neji, leaving Naruto behind.

"H-hey! Guys! Wait up!!"

The storm had blown itself out, Sasuke thought as he gazed out the window. He, Neji and Naruto were waiting for Sakura while Harry and Ron were waiting for Hermione.

"Do girls _always_ take this long to get ready?" Ron groaned.

Not a moment after he said that, soft giggling could suddenly be heard from the stairway leading to the girls' dormitory. It was Sakura and Hermione.

"Morning, guys!" said a cheerful Sakura when she reached them. Sasuke, Neji and Naruto stared at her. She was wearing a fitting white button-up shirt and red and gold tie. The black plaid skirt she wore barely reached her knees, and knee-length, black socks wrapped her calves and feet. She also wore matching black shoes and the scarlet and black robes. Her bubblegum pink hair was pulled up in a messy high pony tail.

The three shinobi boys looked at themselves.

All of them were wearing a white button-up shirt, red and gold tie, black pants, and black shoes, along with the scarlet and black robes. Sasuke had taken extra care not to tuck in his shirt and to loosen his tie. Neji and Naruto had only un-tucked one side of their shirts and loosen their ties.

Sasuke shoved his fists into his pocket. Neji crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. Naruto just looked confused. Ron was gaping openly at Sakura, before being ushered out by Hermione, who gave the shinobi an apologetic grin before she and Ron disappeared through the portrait hole.

"So, er, shall we go to breakfast then?" asked Harry awkwardly.

"Hn."

* * *

Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and Neji made their way towards the Head of House for Gryffindor, Professor McGonagall, who was handing out timetables for the first-years. When it was the ninja's turn, McGonagall glanced at them, and tapped her wand on four pieces of parchments. Columns and words spread from where her wand tip had touched the paper, rearranging themselves to look like a schedule.

"Herbology with the Hufflepuffs… Care for Magical Creatures with the Slytherin… Divination after lunch…" Sakura muttered as she ran her finger lightly down the column for Monday.

"Blimey, you have the same timetables as ours!" exclaimed Ron from behind Sakura. He was peering over her shoulder to look at the schedule in the kunoichi's hands.

"Really?" said Neji indifferently, watching with the slightest bit of interest as Naruto shoveled down the scrambled eggs.

"Damn it, we have double Divination this afternoon," said Harry.

"You should have given it up like me, shouldn't you?" said Hermione briskly, buttering herself some toast. "Then you'd be doing something sensible like Arithmancy."

"Why? What's wrong with Divination?" asked Sakura, taking a piece of toast which Neji just offered out of boredom.

"The teacher teaching us is an old fraud, can't even predict the weather," said Ron, staring at Sakura as she took a bite of her toast.

"And she has a thing for predicting my death," muttered Harry, frowning at the thought.

"Well, I'm sure she isn't that bad…" Sakura trailed off.

"She's been predicting my death for the past year."

"Oh."

There was a sudden rustling noise above them, and a hundred owls came soaring through the open windows, carrying letters and parcels.

"It's the morning mail," Hermione explained briefly, noticing that Sakura and Naruto had suddenly stopped mid-bite. Harry looked up, as though searching for a particular owl. The owls circled the tables, looking for the people whom their letters and parcels were addressed.

One meticulous bird stood out from the mass of grey and brown. In fact, it wasn't even an owl. It was a messenger bird from Konoha. It angled its wings and flew towards the four shinobi. Naruto had to push his plate aside to allow the bird to land. The yellow bird landed noiselessly on the table, at the spot between the ninjas.

Students from the Gryffindor table were beginning to stare at the strangely out-of-place bird and the ninjas. Harry Ron and Hermione stared quizzically at the bird.

"What's this?" muttered Neji as he took the scroll from the messenger bird, which then took off as quickly as it came.

"What does it say?" asked Sakura, leaning forward slightly. Pearl eyes moved left and right rapidly as Neji read the scroll.

"_It's from Kakashi. He said that there's a room where we can go to train in. It's called the Room of Requirement. He left a map stating where the room is, and a list of new Ninjutsu, Taijutsu and Genjutsu techniques for us to learn,_" Neji said in Japanese.

"Is that it?" Sasuke asked, this time, in English.

"Yeah, that's about it." Neji pocketed the scroll in his robe pocket.

"What was that load of gibberish you were saying?' asked Ron, whose eyebrows were raised in confusion. Hermione nudged him sharply in the ribs, scowling.

"It's Japanese, Ronald," said Hermione exasperatedly. Ron turned slightly pink as Sasuke shot him a glare and Neji frowned at him.

"Oh… Sorry," said the red-head, sounding sheepish.

"Come on, we have Herbology now," said Hermione, picking up her bag.

* * *

Harry seemed preoccupied as the wizards and shinobi made their way across the sodden vegetable path until they arrived in greenhouse three, where the fourth-years from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff were gathered.

Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher, showed the class the ugliest plants the ninjas and wizards had ever seen. They looked less like plants than thick black giant slugs, protruding vertically out of the soil. Each was squirming slightly, and had a number of large, shiny swellings on it, which appeared to be full of liquid.

"Bubotubers," Professor Sprout told them briskly. "They need squeezing. You will collect the pus - "

"The what?" said Naruto, sounding revolted.

"Pus, Uzumaki, Pus," said Professor Sprout, "and it's extremely valuable, so don't waste it. You will collect the pus, I say, in these bottles. Wear your dragon-hide gloves, it can do funny things to the skin when undiluted, Bubotuber pus."

"This is disgusting," Sasuke growled, squeezing the Bubotuber effortlessly. "But oddly satisfying," he added as a swelling popped, and a large amount of thick yellowish green liquid burst forth. It smelled strongly of petrol. Sakura grinned at him, before jabbing her index and middle finger into a swelling, which caused a generous amount of Bubotuber pus to spill out. Sasuke noticed that Sakura had slipped a small bottle of the pus into her robe pocket.

"What're you doing?" he asked, quirking a dark eyebrow. She rolled her emerald eyes at him.

"I'm a medic, this is pus, do the math," she said simply, bursting more Bubotubers.

By the end of the lesson, they had collected several pints.

A booming bell echoed from the castle across the wet grounds, signaling the end of the lesson, and the class separated; the Hufflepuffs climbing the stone steps and the Gryffindors heading in the other direction, down the sloping lawn towards a small wooden cabin, which stood on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

The giant man the ninjas had seen the day before was standing outside the hut, one hand on the collar of an enormous black boarhound. There were several open wooden crates on the ground at his feet.

As the ninjas and wizards drew nearer, an odd rattling noise reached their ears, punctuated by what sounded like minor explosions.

"Mornin'!" the man said, grinning at Harry, Hermione and Ron. "And who might yeh four be?" he asked, noticing Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and Neji who were standing behind the Hogwarts trio.

"They're the new exchange students from Japan, Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyuuga. Weren't you there when they were sorted?" Harry said, casting Hagrid a suspicious look. Hagrid laughed uncomfortably.

"I was a lil' preoccupied," he said. "Anywho," he added, seeing the accusatory looks from his three favourite students. "Be'er wait fer the Slytherins, they won' want ter miss this – Blast-Ended Skrewts!"

"Come again?" said Sasuke, Neji, Naruto, Harry and Ron at the same time.

Hagrid pointed down into the crates.

"What the bloody hell is _that_?" muttered Sakura, wide-eyed.

The Blast-Ended Skrewts looked like deformed, shell-less lobsters, horribly pale and slimy-looking, with legs sticking out in very odd places and no visible heads. There were about a hundred of them in each crate, each about six inches long, crawling over each other, bumping blindly into the sides of the boxes. They gave off a powerful smell of rotting fish. Every now and then, sparks would fly out of the end of a Skrewt and would be propelled forwards several inches.

"On'y jus' hatched," said Hagrid proudly. "So yeh'll be able ter raise 'em yourselves! Thought we'd make a bit of a project of it!"

"And why would we _want_ to raise them?" said a cold voice. The Slytherins had arrived. The speaker was none other than Draco Malfoy, the 'stupid blond git which makes Naruto look like a freaking civilized chimp', as quoted from Sasuke.

Hagrid looked stumped at the question.

"I mean, what do they_ do_?" asked Malfoy. "What is the _point_ of them?"

Hagrid opened his mouth, apparently thinking hard. Then he said roughly, "Tha's next lesson, Malfoy. Yer jus' feedin' 'em today. Now yeh'll wan' ter try 'em on a few dif'rent things – I never had 'em before, not sure what they'll go fer – I got ant eggs an' frog livers an' a bit o' grass-snake – just try 'em out with a bit of each."

"Frog... Liver?" said Naruto, cerulean eyes wide, looking appalled.

"Grass… Snake?" said Sasuke, obsidian eyes narrowing.

"First pus, now this…" said Neji, sighing.

"Am I the only one who hasn't got a problem with this?" asked Sakura, already heading towards the crate where the frog livers were kept.

"Yeah," replied Sasuke, Naruto and Neji in unison.

"_Boys_…" the pink-haired kunoichi mumbled under her breath as she tossed Naruto a frog liver.

"Well, well… Look who we have here," said a voice snidely. The four ninjas' heads swiveled around at the same time.

"Malfoy," growled Sasuke.

"It's okay, Sasuke," said Sakura soothingly, placing a hand on his fist, where he was unconsciously strangling the grass-snake. "What do you want, blondie?" Sakura snarled, her tone the complete opposite from the one she had a second ago. Malfoy laughed derisively, and his goons guffawed stupidly along.

"I want you to ditch chicken-ass and come with me," he said haughtily. Sakura rolled her eyes. In the background, Neji and Naruto couldn't help but snicker when Draco said 'chicken-ass'. And they were snickering partly because of Malfoy's 'I'm so sure she's gonna come with me' face.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed; always a danger sign. Then he smirked abruptly.

"Eh?" said Sakura, looking puzzled at the sudden change of expression.

"What're you smirking about?" sneered Malfoy, looking somehow… frightened. Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest, looking roguish.

"Sakura would rather go out with that other blond idiot," he began, tilting his head towards Naruto's direction. "Than ever spend a single second with you alone."

Naruto immediately stopped laughing, while Neji chortled at Naruto's and Draco's expression.

"Which is saying something," Sasuke added thoughtfully. Neji and Sakura burst into a fit of laughter. Malfoy's pale face had turned bright pink, almost as pink as Sakura's hair. Almost.

"B-but – WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSE TO MEAN?!?!" wailed Naruto, anime tears running down his whiskered face.

"It means, dobe, that at least there's someone worse than you," explained Sasuke. "AND," he continued before Naruto could say a proper sentence. "That is really saying something."

Draco had turned from pale pink to bubblegum pink.

"You'll regret what you just said," Draco spat. "You'll pay."

"Oo. I'm scared. Really. I'm quaking in my shoes," said Sasuke monotonously, smirking in triumph as Malfoy's face become more flushed than it already was. He roughly beckoned Crabbe and Goyle to walk away. The platinum blond gave Sasuke one last scathing look before storming off after his goons. Sasuke sighed as he watched Sakura and Neji laugh, and Naruto sob rather comically.

"Stupid prat," the Uchiha muttered, glowering at the spot Draco had stood a few moments ago.

* * *

"Finally! Lunch!" exclaimed Naruto excitedly.

"Yay," said Neji. Naruto glared at him.

"Can we just get to the Hall without killing each other? Jeez…" said Sakura, pulling Naruto by the ear.

"Itai, Itai! Sakura-chaaaaaan!"

The four shinobi found vacant seats at the end of the Gryffindor table, where they swiftly settled down. Neji took out his timetable as Sasuke helped himself to lamb chops and Naruto munched on potatoes and sprouts.

"So we have Arithmancy after this?" asked Neji.

"Ehh? I thought we had Divination?" replied Sakura, bending down to get her timetable out of her backpack. Neji raised a dark eyebrow and examined Sakura's and his timetables.

"Hmm… we have a few classes differently… What about yours, Naruto, Sasuke?" he asked them, frowning slightly.

"We have the same classes as Sakura's. Want some?" said Sasuke, indicating to the lamb chops he was eating, noticing Sakura looking.

"Huh? Oh yeah, thanks," she flushed as he handed her his fork. Naruto huffed, mouth bulging with sprouts.

"So you were saying that you have Arithmancy after this?" said Sasuke, grabbing another fork.

"Hmm…" Sakura pondered, the tip of the fork resting lightly on her bottom lips as she chewed. _(Inner Sakura: ZOMG THAT'S SASUKE'S FORK WITH SASUKE'S SALIVA!!!!!)_

"All I know is that Hermione is having the same classes as you are, Neji," she shrugged.

Neji groaned.

* * *

A sweet perfume emanating from the fire met their nostrils as they emerged at the top of the stepladder. The curtains were all closed; the circular room was bathed in a dim reddish light cast by many lamps, which were all draped with scarves and shawls. Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Harry and Ron walked through the mass of occupied chintz chairs and pouffes that cluttered the room, and sat down at a small circular table.

"Good day," said a misty voice behind Harry, making him jump. Naruto and Ron hastily turned their laughter into hacking coughs. Sakura bit her bottom lip. Sasuke sighed impatiently.

A very thin woman with enormous glasses that made her eyes appear far too large for her face, Professor Trelawney was peering down at Harry with a strange expression on her face. A large amount of beads, chains and bangles glittered upon her person in the firelight.

"You are preoccupied, my dear," she said mournfully to Harry, clearly not noticing the new members of the class yet. "My Inner Eyes sees past your brave face to the troubled soul within. And I regret to say that your worries are not baseless. I see difficult times ahead for you - "

"No duh," muttered Sasuke, rolling his onyx eyes.

"Alas… most difficult… I fear the thing you dread will indeed come to pass… and perhaps sooner than you think…"

Her voice had dropped to a whisper dramatically. Ron rolled his eyes at Harry, who looked stonily back. Professor Trelawney swept past him, then Ron, then –

She stopped dead in her tracks. Right behind where Sasuke and Sakura were seated. The entire class tensed, even Naruto, who suddenly lost the broad grin on his face.

"You," Professor Trelawney whispered gravely, making almost the whole class jump. She spun around to face Sasuke and Sakura so quickly that the ninjas swore they heard a crack somewhere. She raised a trembling finger at the Uchiha and Haruno, backing away as she did so. Sasuke and Sakura turned around slowly in their seat.

"You!" she repeated, slightly louder. Her voice rang throughout the room. The silence was almost deafening. Sasuke quirked an eyebrow for the umpteenth time that day.

"Yeah, what about us?" said the raven-haired boy impassively.

"You… You shouldn't be here!" Professor Trelawney squeaked. She had backed away so much until the back of her knees hit her desk. Harry, Ron and Naruto frowned.

"What do you mean?" asked Harry, frowned deepening at the trembling figure of Professor Trelawney.

"Y-you… should be… DEAD!!" she said softly, sounding fearful, and yet her voice carried over the class as clear as bells. Several shocked gasps could be heard, Naruto's, Harry's and Ron's jaws went slack. Sakura frowned lightly.

"What?" said Sasuke. His dark bangs swayed as he jerked his head slightly, quirking an eyebrow.

"Y-you two…" Professor Trelawney stammered. "I can't see your futures! You don't have a future!"

Sasuke closed his obsidian eyes in amusement.

"Right."

"All I see is darkness; you should have die - !"

"Shut up, SHUT UP!!!" yelled Harry, standing up, clearly enraged. "This is going too far!"

"Harry!" said Ron, clutching Harry by the robes. Professor Trelawney looked at them with wide, bug eyes.

"I am merely stating what the Inner - "

Harry opened his mouth to retort, but Sasuke beat him to it.

"What do you mean… we should have died?" said Sasuke, onyx eyes narrowing dangerously. His composure was cool, but his Sharingan wielding eyes betrayed his annoyance and curiosity.

"Do not question the Inner Eye! It does not work upon demand!" shrieked Professor Trelawney, looking petrified and insulted at the same time.

"Then what's the rubbish about Sakura and me being dead?" snapped Sasuke, patience wearing thin. Professor Trelawney's huge eyes immediately narrowed in a look of pure anger.

"Do not offend the Inner -!"

"Who gives a damn what your Inner Eyes sees?!" spat Sasuke, standing up. His expression may be calm, but his onyx eyes sparked with a raging fury deep inside him.

The class fell so silent that the silence and tension could be cut with a kunai. Nobody moved a muscle. No one uttered a single word as Professor Trelawney and Sasuke scowled at each other.

"Get. Out," said Professor Trelawney firmly, quite unlike her usual airy-fairy self.

"What?" said a few people at the same time. Namely Harry, Ron, Naruto, Dean, Seamus, Parvarti and Lavender.

"Get. Out. The both of you," she repeated, a little louder this time. Sasuke frowned in confusion, anger forgotten for a moment. He and Sakura exchanged confused looks.

"I said GET OUT!!!" Professor Trelawney screamed, brandishing her wand while advancing toward the Uchiha and Haruno.

Acting on instinct, Sasuke grabbed his bag in one hand while Sakura's hand in the other, quickly pulled her up and made a dash for the door. Professor Trelawney had bewitched some of the crystal balls to zoom after them.

"Hey! Stop that! YOU COULD KILL THEM!!" yelled Naruto, reaching inside his robes.

"Are you mental?!" said Ron, looking pale.

Sasuke and Sakura ran across the room and out the door, with crystal balls exploding where their heads had been.

They swore they heard a crystal ball collide with a loud crash into the door right after it slammed shut behind them.

* * *

"Sasuke…"

"Stupid, mental, old bat…"

"Sasuke…"

"Completely crazy, exploding crystal balls…"

"Sasuke!"

"What?"

"Can we stop, please?" asked Sakura weakly, looking slightly pink in the face. The raven-haired boy halted and turned around to face the pink-haired girl.

"Why?"

"People are staring," she said softly, looking down with a heavy blush on her cheeks. For a moment, the rage dissipated from Sasuke's eyes to be replaced with one of puzzlement. He looked around. Sure enough, people were staring. But for what? Girls were giggling, boys were snickering. All of them were looking at their –

"Er," said Sasuke awkwardly. He hastily let go of Sakura's small and soft hands. Now that he was finally regaining his senses, he noticed how close they were standing- how close _he_ was standing to Sakura.

"So, um, what do you think we should do now?" inquired Sakura, obviously trying to break the tension between them. Sasuke frowned.

"Find Kakashi. He might know something about this."

"How? He's all the way at Konoha, and we only have about another hour - "

"That's all the time we need to find Dumbledore."

With that, he grabbed her hand again and both of them started running to the Headmaster's office.

"Whoa Sasuke slow down!!" yelped Sakura as they tore through the corridors. Sasuke's head swiveled around to see Sakura struggling to hold down her skirt which was flying around wildly at their breakneck speed.

"How do you even walk with those things?" said Sasuke, indicating to the skirt. Nevertheless, he slowed down slightly.

"It's called _grace_, which _some_ boys lack," retorted Sakura. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"C'mon, up, on the left."

The two ninjas ran up the stairs and hung a sudden left. They turned a few more corridors and finally came to a skidding halt in front of a stone gargoyle.

"Er… isn't the office supposed to be here?" asked Sakura, rubbing her neck. Sasuke walked forward and touched the surface of the statue with his fingertips.

"Cover me, Sakura," he said firmly, activating his Sharingan.

"Got it."

A few minutes of silence swept by as the Uchiha examined the stone gargoyle while Sakura sat down next to a wall, legs burning after the long run across the castle. After making sure that she didn't feel anyone's presences nearby, the Haruno decided to watch her childhood crush as he ran his fingers lightly across the gargoyle, looking deep in thought.

'_He's so cute when he does that!'_ squealed the recently dormant Inner Sakura.

"Wha?" Sakura said out-loud by accident.

"Huh?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her.

"Er, nothing, sorry," said Sakura sheepishly, blushing slightly. She gave him a grin, emerald eyes squinted shut.

"Hn." He smirked back, returning to what he was doing.

'_ZOMG! He's. So. CUTE!!'_ squealed Inner Sakura again, this time with the jumping and the hair standing thing.

'_Shut it, you,'_ snapped Sakura. A small sigh could be heard echoing through her head before Inner Sakura fell silent.

"There's a wall of chakra around this thing," Sasuke finally said, frowning.

"Really? How do we get to Dumbledore then?" asked Sakura, standing up. Sasuke sighed, turning around.

"We don't."

"What? What about Kaka-sensei?!"

"We'll just have to wait for dinner, when we can see Dumbledore. Or maybe tomorrow."

"Dinner? Oh… Alright…" sighed Sakura dejectedly.

"Let's go up to the common room, we can discuss about the mission there."

Sakura nodded and soon, the both of them walked down the corridor, side by side, hands unconsciously brushing each other.

* * *

The period which was supposed to be Divination swept by quickly as Sasuke and Sakura discussed on mission plans next to the fireplace, sitting on the squashy and comfortable cushions. Inner Sakura kept on mentioning how Sasuke's onyx eyes drifted from the crackling fire to Sakura's form often, how hot Sasuke looked with the light cast by the fire illuminating his angular face, and how softened he was, talking to her alone than he usually was talking to the others.

"It's dinner already. We should go down," declared Sakura after their endless talk about the mission.

"Aa," agreed Sasuke, standing up.

Sasuke and Sakura rushed down to the Great Hall and met up with Neji and Naruto, who started babbling about Professor Trelawney.

"Naruto. Shut up," said Neji after they settled down at the Gryffindor table. "Now, what's this about you two being dead?"

Sasuke glared at him while Sakura rolled her seafoam eyes.

"How the bloody hell would we know, Hyuuga," replied Sasuke. Neji shrugged.

"Dumbledore's not here," said Sakura, pink brows furrowing. The rest of the ninjas' heads turned to look at the biggest chair at the staff table where the Headmaster was supposed to be sitting. The silver-haired wizard was indeed not present.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to wait till tomorrow then," Sasuke said nonchalantly, helping himself to the food.

"Why do you guys need Dumbledore for?" asked Naruto through a mouthful of steak.

"We need him to get to Kakashi, dumbass. Kakashi might know something about the thing that happened with that Trelawney woman," drawled Sasuke, incensed.

"Oh."

* * *

The next morning, the first thing that Sasuke and Sakura did was sprint to the Headmaster's office before lessons started.

"Which way was it again? Oh yeah, go left!"

The pink-haired and raven-haired ninjas turned left, like how they did the day before, and came to a similar skidding halt in front of the stone gargoyle.

"Maybe we should just knock," suggested Sakura, half shrugging. She took a step forward, fist raised.

"You've seen what it's like yesterday," said a deep and familiar voice from the other side of the statue. Sasuke promptly placed his hand on Sakura's to stop her from knocking. He placed a finger to his lips, telling her to be quiet.

"Yes. I have indeed seen what it is like. It is quite horrible. However, I would like to add that their missions are of a higher priority; if Voldemort kills Harry, our whole world is done for," said another voice, Dumbledore's voice.

"If this war goes on and we lose, we _won't_ have a world!"

"You are merely over-reacting - "

"_Over-reacting_ you say? If we lose, this world will literally _explode_!"

There was silence on the other end.

"We need our ninjas back, even for just a week. Our forces aren't strong enough. The strongest of our ninjas are here. One of them could possibly end the whole war with one blow."

"Why don't I lend you some of our strongest wizar - "

"You don't understand do you? Wizards are no match for ninjas, no matter how strong you are. Ninjas are fast, _way_ too fast for any normal and typical wizard to catch. And besides, if you think what you saw yesterday was horrible, think again. That was just the beginning."

"That's impossible. There can't possibly be any more damage that could be done."

"Well, it is and it's happening right now as we speak."

There was a pause.

"It seems to me, that both our worlds are in terrible danger. Both our worlds need these ninjas. Therefore, I suggest that, if things get too atrocious on your end, I will allow these ninjas to go back for a short while to settle things. So, for the moment, they shall remain here till they are absolutely and urgently needed."

"They are needed _now_. If this war goes on - "

There was a pause.

"If this war goes on… Innocent people, civilians, ninjas will die. Unnecessary deaths shall be caused. If this war goes on… No one, not even the strongest ninja alive, can stop it."

Silence.

"No one."

* * *

**Author's Note:** HAH! How's that for some corny suspense?! A lil' bit of mystery there, ain't it? Haha.

Things may seemed a bit rushed in this chap. I'll try to slow things down in the next chapter, which I'll try my darn hardest to type as soon as possible. Though don't expect it to be very soon; my exams are heeerrrreeeeeee.

Anywho, about this chap: I thought and thought about it, and finally decided that I wanted to make this story a lil' bit different from the other HpxNaruto crossovers by adding in a war in the ninja world. And the part about Prof. Trelawney saying that Sasuke and Sakura being dead... well... You'll find out in the later chapters.

Any questions, comments, constructive crtisism which does NOT include 'Yo man your story sux', or anything that can help me improve this fic, type it in your reviews:D

Till next chap! (Goodness that has got to be the best ending note I've ever typed. And the most sensible one, too.)

Peace out!!


	7. Dumbledore Hated:Snape Hated

**Author's Note: **Yoha people!! As you can see, chap 7 is up! This chapter will be freakishly short cause I'm freakishly tired and stuff. Yeah.

Oh yeah. And you guys should know that I'm from Singapore and my english and grammar and vocabulary and everything ain't top-notch or anything. So, yeah. Don't expect anything perfect.

Enjoy!

* * *

Come on everybody stand up  
Agero kyou ichiban no jikan da  
Me ni mo tomoran no speed wo handa  
Dare mo nobinattori ko kanba yeah 

Come on everybody hands up  
Mata ashita no heroes wa comeback  
Tsuujou kazoe hibi wo countdown  
Let's go, 3-2-1 make some noise!!

* * *

Time seemed to stand still as Sasuke and Sakura stared into each other's eyes, ears resting on the stone gargoyle, registering about what they had just heard. Even when their expressions were different, the message that they were trying to send to each other was the same: _The war between Konoha and Sound had already begun_.

Neither moved a muscle. Everything was swept with a thick blanket of silence that it was almost deafening. That was, until Sasuke blinked.

"Run," he said hoarsely, frowning as he heard soft foot steps on the other side of the stone gargoyle.

"What?" Sakura squeaked, surprised at the sudden order.

"Run!" This time, Sasuke grabbed Sakura by the hand and sped off at an extremely high speed. Sakura struggled to keep up with Sasuke's speed.

They heard something heavy being moved behind them, and then they sensed a familiar chakra.

'Kakashi…' thought Sasuke, scowling. He heard Sakura gasp. And then he felt as though he wasn't pulling anything. He spared a small glance at Sakura and realized that the kunoichi was running as fast as she could, her legs a blur. There was a hurt and determined look on her face. An expression Sasuke had seen before.

"Sasuke! Sakura!" called a deep voice behind them.

'Apparently Kakashi had taken to chasing us while Dumbledore sat in his pretty little office, drinking tea like how old farts do,' thought Sasuke bitterly, suddenly feeling so much hatred for the old man.

"Sasuke! Sakura!" Kakashi repeated, lagging behind, from what Sakura and Sasuke could hear. The younger ninjas did not reply. They ran and ran as fast as their ninja trained legs could carry. They didn't know where they were going. They just needed to get away from Kakashi and Dumbledore.

"_MATTE!_!" bellowed Kakashi. Suddenly, he did something weird. His gloved hands went into his weapon pouch and in a flash, threw chakra strings with all his strength.

"What the? Chakra strings!!" exclaimed Sakura when the thin, almost transparent, string flew next to her and Sasuke, closing in on them. Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"_Kawarimi_!!" yelled the Uchiha, letting go of Sakura's hand to form the hand seals. Sakura began to do the same, twisting her body in a feline way to avoid four of the strings at once.

Before the young ninjas reached the third hand seal, Kakashi had started controlling the chakra strings like how a puppet master would; freakishly fast. And so, the strings after Sasuke and Sakura had started moving at breakneck speed, too. This caused them to lose concentration on the hand seals.

"Kyaa!!" cried Sakura as the chakra strings encircled the both of them. The strings seemed to move in slow motion as it circled the kunoichi and shinobi. In a burst of tremendous speed, it spun around Sasuke and Sakura, tightening itself around them.

"Mmph!" said Sakura as she collided with Sasuke's hard chest. Both of them flew back slightly from the impact of crashing into each other. They skidded and rolled quite a distance. When they finally came to a stop, Sakura regretted getting into a defensive pose before getting tied up.

Her arms and hands were mushed between hers and Sasuke's torso, which was not good. The strings were so tightly tied around them that her chest was forced to be pressed up against Sasuke's. Definitely not good. She felt something being pressed against her –

Nope. Not good at all.

"And where do you think you're going?" drawled Kakashi, walking slowly towards them, beads of sweat trickling down the side of his head.

"Away from you," spat Sasuke. He was panting, much to Sakura's chagrin. Why does he have to move so much?!

"And why is that so?" asked Kakashi, sitting on his heels next to them.

"Cause you didn't freaking tell us the war already began!!" Kakashi remained silent. Sasuke got really pissed and started struggling with the strings binding him and Sakura.

"Forget it, Sasuke. Even Sakura's strength can't break it," said Kakashi quietly, almost gravely. Sakura growled, her inner self taking over, and tried to move her arm. It wouldn't budge. She tried again.

Sasuke abruptly stopped struggling to stare at Sakura in wonder. The way she grinded her teeth together, the way her bubblegum pink hair seemed to float around her head as a small flow of chakra rippled through her entire being, the way her chakra was absolutely visible to the eye as she sent a small amount of it through her body. It was quite a sight.

For a few seconds, she pulled and pulled at her arm, but it just wouldn't budge. In the end, she threw her head onto Sasuke's chest, defeated.

"I'm bringing you to the office. I'll explain there," said Kakashi, lifting both teens by the chakra strings. He then proceeded to carrying them over his shoulder, with much difficulty.

Neither Sasuke nor Sakura said a word as they were carried towards the stone gargoyle. Sasuke was clearly seething with anger, and Sakura was just trying hard to think of the position they were in.

The moment they were thrown onto an armchair in the dimly lit and circular office -

"Let. Us. Go," snarled Sasuke.

"Right. And get punched the living daylights outta me by Sakura? I don't think so," replied Kakashi, keeping a hold of the chakra string trailing from the ones which bind Sasuke and Sakura together. "I'm going to keep you two tied up for as long as it takes for me to explain what's going on."

"What's there to explain?! The war's already begun! That's all the explanation we need!" seethed Sasuke. He was about to yell some more, but halted suddenly, feeling something moving in his pocket.

'What the - ?'

"_Diffindo!_" said Sakura. There was a bright flash of yellow, and the chakra strings binding them were cut clean into half down the middle. She quickly leapt away from him. "I couldn't reach my own pocket, and yours was nearer to my hand," she explained briskly, tossing Sasuke back his wand, never taking her narrowed emerald eyes off her teacher. Sasuke caught his wand with ease, and pointed its tip at the masked man. If Kakashi was shocked, he didn't show it.

"Bring us back to Konoha," said Sasuke firmly. Kakashi took a step forward, looking ready to object. In a flash, Sakura had brandished her own wand and pointed it directly at Kakashi's chest, where his heart was.

"Bring us back. Now," ordered Sakura, voice trembling from anger. Kakashi sighed.

"I would love to bring you back, but - "

"I would not allow that," said a deeper voice behind Kakashi. Kakashi's droopy eye visibly narrowed. Sasuke and Sakura immediately diverted their wand tips to the direction of where Dumbledore was standing.

"And why," began Sakura shakily. "Wouldn't you allow us to fight for our own village?"

"Because Harry needs - " Dumbledore started.

"Harry needs nothing more than a novice ninja!" yelled Sasuke. Dumbledore didn't seem to be affected by Sasuke's rudeness.

"Voldemort is much stronger than - " Dumbledore began, only to be interjected again. This time, by Sakura.

"At least allow Sasuke, Naruto and Neji to go back! I'll be sufficient enough for this mission!" said Sakura. Sasuke and Kakashi looked at her in surprise.

"My, my… Sakura… You always tend to underestimate yourself," muttered Kakashi, shaking his head and smiling under his mask.

"Yeah. I mean, c'mon, you punch like a hippo – _OW_!!" Sakura had just punched Sasuke across the face, her temple throbbing violently. "Jeez, Sakura!!" muttered Sasuke, wincing as he examined his broken nose.

"I'm so sorry… for punching like a hippo!" Sakura harrumphed, folded her arms across her chest and turned the other way, refusing to heal Sasuke's nose. All tension and anger from the past few minutes evaporated.

Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively, apparently thinking that the ninjas weren't angry at him anymore.

"I've told Kakashi that I shall allow you to go back to your home village when you are urgently and - "

"Yeah, we heard," sneered Sasuke. He still sounded menacing with a bloodied nose.

"Whatever you do, don't tell Naruto or Neji about this. I'll be sending news on what's going on by owl. Got it?" said Kakashi, mustering as much authority as he could in his usual lazy drawl.

"Hai," muttered Sasuke and Sakura.

With one last spiteful look at the headmaster, the two teen ninjas left the office without another word.

* * *

"That, freaking, old… old… GAH!!" shrieked Sakura so loudly that a few students streaming past her jumped in shock. It was already lunch time. 

"Let's just go for lunch," muttered Sasuke impassively. Sakura huffed and stuffed her wand into her robe pocket. The students walking past them seemed to walk at least an arm's length away from the ninjas as the dangerous aura surrounding them could be felt. Anyway, Uchiha Sasuke plus a bloody nose is. Not. Good. Not a nice combo.

"Sakura-chan! Teme! Where the bloody – ?!" greeted them the moment they entered the Great Hall. There was a loud _'Bonk!'_ and the loud voice abruptly halted.

"Where have you been?" continued Neji politely as they sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"What's with your nose?" questioned Naruto obliviously.

"Dumbledore's office. Got into an accident," replied Sasuke curtly, scowled at Naruto, and stared at Sakura. She sighed and beckoned him to her. She healed his nose in record time.

"About the Trelawney thing? What did he tell you?" asked Neji, helping himself to some chicken. Both Sasuke and Sakura froze as realization hit them like a ton of bricks. The reason they were at Dumbledore's office was to find out why Trelawney acted strangely. And they did anything but that.

Sasuke shook out of his stupor first, and replied, "Stuff," gruffly before stuffing a piece of steak into his mouth, looking annoyed.

* * *

"Alright!! We're finally gonna train!!" cheered Naruto. Sakura instinctively punched Naruto on the side of the head, while Sasuke smacked his forehead. 

"Train on what, Uzumaki?" sneered Professor Severus Snape. They were in the middle of Potions class. Sasuke and Sakura had just told Naruto about their training schedule. "And twenty points from Gryffindor for being aggressive to one of their own housemates."

The other students' heads turned to the Konoha trio. That Pansy girl from Slytherin sat up abruptly, interested on what Snape was going to do to the trio. Harry, Ron and Hermione gave the shinobi a quizzical look.

"Train on… er…" stammered Naruto, rubbing his head.

"Defense against the Dark Arts," answered Sakura. "Sir," she added hastily. Snape glared at them for a good few minutes. Next to Sakura, Sasuke glared back.

"If that's the case, why don't you show us how… _weak_… your Defense against the Dark Arts is. I might be able to help you. That is, if it is even possible for me to help magic of your level," sneered Snape. All three shinobi stiffened. Their expressions darkened. Something in them snapped.

"Uzumaki, Haruno, Uchiha. Come to the front of the class now," ordered Snape. Simultaneously, the Konoha trio pushed their chairs back, stood up, and marched to the front of the class.

"What do you want us to do," spat Sasuke, onyx eyes practically shooting sparks.

"_Sir_," added Sakura spitefully.

"The spell you are _so_ weak in," drawled Snape, crossing his arms over his chest. The Slytherins in the class snickered. Crabbe and Goyle guffawed stupidly.

"_Relashio!_"

"_Reducto!_"

"_Wringardium Leviosa!_"

Everything happened so fast that it took the other students a good few seconds to realize that Snape's desk had exploded, raining them with pieces of parchment. There was a red streak across Snape's usually smug face, and a chair was hovering in the air.

Sasuke and Sakura stared at the floating chair, and then scowled at Naruto.

The class fell silent. Snape blinked dumbly.

The Gryffindors burst out laughing.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor," growled Snape. The shinobi kept stoic faces as they walked back to their seats.

"And detention, Uchiha, Haruno."

Sasuke smirked while Sakura broke into a grin.

Hasn't he ever heard of clones?

* * *

**Author's Note: **Again, I'm very and extremely sorry for the uber short chapter. And, well, er... yeah... 

Hope I did okay in this chapter. I felt it wasn't a very good one. -sigh- Feeling kinda stressed out 'casue I'm gonna have my stupid Npcc (National Police Cadet Corps) promotion test very...very... soon. GAH!!

So...er... Review, ne?

Ja!


	8. Ninja Training:Black and Pink

**Author's Note:** ZOMG!!!I am extremely, TRULY sorry for not updating for, like, ever!! My End-of-Year exams are here. Yeah. I know that I said that my last exam was, like, only a few weeks ago. That was last term.

Anywho, this chap will be about the shinobi training and a bit of Harry at the end. Sorry for the pathetic chap. I just thought that if I wasn't going to post this, I won't be posting anytime soon.

Soo...

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Come on everybody stand up  
Agero kyou ichiban no jikan da  
Me ni mo tomoran no speed wo handa  
Dare mo nobinattori ko kanba yeah 

Come on everybody hands up  
Mata ashita no heroes wa comeback  
Tsuujou kazoe hibi wo countdown  
Let's go, 3-2-1 make some noise!!

* * *

"So we're gonna train tonight, right?" questioned Naruto enthusiastically and hopefully. 

Classes were finally over and it was time for dinner. Students of all houses streamed down the exceptionally crowded corridors.

"Naruto. If you're not going to shut up about training, I'm going to bitch-slap you mental, _got it_?" threatened Sakura lightly. Naruto wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Anyways, we'll be doing some patrolling during the night," said Neji, white eyes looking straight and intimidating. They turned a sudden right, going into a secret passageway Neji had found by coincident. It was also a shorter and quieter way to the Great Hall.

"Okay… So what's the plan?"

"Naruto and I will be patrolling the grounds, while you and Uchiha will patrol the skies above this school."

"Skies? What? You found a way for us to walk on air by manipulating our chakra to our feet and releasing it constantly to the air around it instead of something solid?" said Sakura sacarstically. The other three boys halted in the tracks and stared at Sakura.

"…What?"

"I never thought about that before," pondered Neji, frowning slightly. Sakura sputtered.

"Anyway, I was talking about brooms," said Neji casually as they resumed walking.

"_Brooms_?" said Sasuke incredulously, opening one onyx eye to stare at the Hyuuga prodigy. Neji smirked.

"Yeah. _Flying_ ones."

* * *

"Weapons?" 

"Check!"

"Scrolls?"

"Got it!"

"… er… other ninja stuff?"

"Hn."

"Okay then. Team," Neji frowned and activated his Byakugan, his vision changing in small chakra ripples.

"Move out!"

Sasuke muttered a small, '_Pfft…_' and rolled his eyes before the four of them disappeared in a flurry of leaves.

* * *

'_We need a place to train ourselves_' 

'_We need a place to train ourselves_'

'_We need a place to train ourselves_'

A door suddenly appeared out of nowhere onto the wall the ninja's had been pacing in front of. Shooting each other confused glances, Neji place a hand on the door knob, and turned. The thick iron of the door creaked loudly as Neji pushed his weight on the door.

"This is one hell of a heavy door. Sakura, gimme a hand," said Neji, cursing slightly. Sakura, with weapons of different variety in her arms, bounded forwards and gave a small kick to the door with her toe. This caused the heavy metal to be slammed back and onto the wall next to it, sending tremors all around.

Naruto gaped at the door. Neji raised an eyebrow at Sakura while Sasuke cleared his throat and turned away, astounded by his team mate's strength.

"Eheheh… I guess that was too much force?" said Sakura sheepishly, a hint of pink traveling across her cheeks. Neji smirked at her, causing the kunoichi to blush harder.

"Let's just go in already," grumbled Sasuke, shifting the scrolls in his arms, as he trudged ahead into the room. Naruto and Sakura exchanged looks and rolled their eyes simultaneously.

Sasuke nonchalantly dropped all the scrolls onto the ground just as Sakura dumped the weapons next to the scrolls with a loud clatter.

Naruto let out a low whistle as all four of them looked up at the extremely high ceiling. There was nothing fancy in the room. In fact, there were huge stone pillars placed randomly around the room which was almost as big as the Great Hall itself.

"Okay then," said Neji as the shinobi gathered around him while he unrolled the scroll Kakashi had given them. "We'll start training with a bit of a warm-up. Whatever kind of warm-up you want, for about fifteen minutes. Then we'll start with Taijutsu and chakra control training. After than we'll end tonight's training with a bit of Ninjutsu, since we can't really use it much. Understood?"

"B-but… Chakra control?!" whined Naruto. "We're _waaaay_ beyond that stage, Neji!! We can totally control our chakra!!"

Sasuke nodded while Sakura rolled her eyes, already walking away to start her warm-up. Neji smirked.

"Sure you can, idiot. You can't even form a single-handed Rasengan. You need a shadow clone to help you. Anyway, if you could actually control your chakra like Sakura," Neji tilted his head towards where the kunoichi was jumping from one side of the room to the other at a speed which could rival Lee's, gradually making her way up to the ceiling. "You'd be able to create a powerful Rasengan without the help of a shadow clone."

Naruto's azure eyes sparkled. Sasuke grumbled and rolled his onyx eyes, stalking off towards the pink-haired medic-nin.

Grumpily, Sasuke took out two shuriken and threw them at Sakura, who almost made it to the ceiling before she had to withdraw her hand quickly due to the incoming objects.

"Hey! What was that for!!" she hollered from her spot at the ceiling to the Uchiha on the ground. Sasuke shrugged as Sakura leapt towards him.

"Fight me," Sasuke said abruptly, earning a confused look from Naruto, Neji and Sakura. Completely forgetting the fact that he could have laid a hit on Neji, Naruto's face broke into a wide grin before his clones disappeared and Neji breathed an inaudible sigh of relief.

"C'mon, Sakura-chan! You can totally kick teme's butt to Japan, I mean, literally!!" cheered Naruto, pumping his fist in the air. Neji nodded, smirking.

"Erm…" muttered Sakura shyly, a blush spreading across her cheeks. Without waiting for an answer from the girl, Sasuke extended his arms and dropped into a battle stance. Sakura's eyebrow's furrowed as her lips stretched into a smirk. She nodded. She shifted her gloved fists in front of her, and moved her legs apart, providing better balance.

"Alright!! I'll be the judge!" said Naruto, bounding forwards to stand in between Sasuke and Sakura, both who were staring intently at the other.

"First rule, NO SHARINGAN!!" Naruto directed this at the Uchiha.

"Hn."

"Second rule, NO INSANE INHUMAN STRE – wait… Then the fight won't be any fun," Naruto pondered over it for a while. "You know what? _Screw the rules_! On the count of 3!"

Sasuke smirked at Sakura, who winked back at him.

"1!"

Sasuke leaned forward slightly.

"2!"

Sakura clenched her fists so tightly that they shook.

"3!"

* * *

"Why," Sakura panted, throwing another punch at Sasuke, who easily dodged it. 

"Won't." She threw another punch, aimed straight at the Uchiha's smug face. But he ducked and slapped her fist away. She disregarded the sharp pain in her forearm where Sasuke had stabbed her.

"You." Sakura swung her right leg in a roundhouse kick. Sasuke leapt back, his back hitting the rough stone wall. Sasuke quickly held up his arms in front of him as an attempt to defend himself. He was tired. He had to admit. As slow as she was compared to his speed, Sakura packs one hell of a punch.

"Just." She drew back her fist and lashed forwards, throwing her weight onto that single punch. Her knuckles connected with the wall as Sasuke ducked, her fist missing him by a hair.

"Stay." Throwing another punch, she and Sasuke ignored the crumbling wall which Sakura had just punched.

"Freaking." Sakura dodged a punch Sasuke sent her, countering it with a punch of her own. There was a poof, and Sasuke turned to a log in a puff of white smoke.

"_Still!_!" Enraged and irritated, Sakura spun around and threw a wild punch at the direction Sasuke was supposed to appear again. This was her last chance. She and Sasuke had been fighting for a long time, well over half and hour. And god knows how pathetic her stamina was.

Naruto cheered as her fist connected with something. Not wasting another second, Sakura grabbed whatever she had just hit before it could fly away from the strength of her punch. It felt like fabric.

Tightening her hold on the cloth, a sudden surge of chakra coursed through her, and she sped forwards and up the wall. There was a sickening crunching sound as she smashed Sasuke who was in her hands into the ground as she ran.

Sakura leapt off the wall, taking the Uchiha with her as she sailed the air, never losing her grip. She did a few flips in the air to gain momentum, before ramming Sasuke onto the ground with her insane strength. The ground crumbled slightly, creating a crater around Sasuke, under the sheer force of the throw.

Drawing back her fist where bright blue chakra was like a raging flame, she lashed out as she landed, right on Sasuke.

"_SHANNARO_!!!"

* * *

Everything became silent. Only the sound of Sakura's short, gasping breaths were heard. 

"No way," uttered Neji, eyes wide with disbelieve.

"Sakura-chan!" exclaimed Naruto, running towards Sakura who had just dropped to her knees in her weakened state.

Bruised and battered, the medic-nin fell sideways onto Naruto who managed to arrive in time to save her from falling onto the cold stone floor. The last stone pillar crumbled.

"H-hey! Sakura-chan? Daijobu?" asked Naruto worriedly. Sakura nodded feebly. Then she raised her hands, and took off her right glove. Green chakra appeared around her ungloved hand. She began healing herself, gently pressing her healing hand to the wounds.

Apparently she had a broken rib, a stabbed forearm and leg and a minor head wound. It was funny how adrenaline could block out all the pain.

Sakura abruptly gasped.

"Sasuke! How's he? Did I win? Is he okay?" she asked quickly, pushing herself off Naruto to look at the crater.

"Yeah. He's fine… Even if he doesn't look like it," said Neji, who was kneeling down next to Sasuke's battered and bloodied body. Naruto and Sakura grimaced at Sasuke's condition.

"Ouch."

"That has got to hurt…"

"Sakura," rasped Sasuke, onyx eyes opened a slit to look at the pink-haired kunoichi. His respect for her has just gone to a whole new level.

"Y-yes, Sasuke?" replied Sakura nervously, her fists held up in front of her chest.

"That freaking hurt like a butt-ugly bitch."

* * *

After healing Sasuke the best Sakura could at the moment, Naruto, Neji, Sakura and Sasuke started Ninjutsu training. 

As usual, before they could even start proper training, Naruto and Sasuke had already begun a fistfight, accompanied with a number of retarded insults, and somehow ended with the both of them using their most powerful jutsu; the Rasengan and Chidori.

It had been a draw, naturally.

Feeling a little left out, Sakura sighed and settled down next to where the weapons and scrolls were. Sasuke's shirt and Naruto's jacket was included in the pile. The Uchiha needed to take of his shirt in order for Sakura to heal his five broken ribs. Naruto got slashed in the abdomen by Neji and he too, needed to take off his jacket for her to heal his wound easily.

Sakura watched with emerald eyes as Naruto laughed at Sasuke who just got Kaiten-ed to the ground by Neji. Sasuke growled and he clasped his hands together to form a series of familiar hand seals. Recognizing them, the smile slid of Naruto's face. Sasuke inhaled deeply, then exhaled, creating a giant fire ball.

Naruto yelped as he leapt away. However, his pants caught fire, and it was Sasuke's turn to laugh, manically that is, as the blonde ran around in circles trying to put out the fire. Neji ran a hand down his face.

Not being able to help herself, Sakura smiled.

* * *

"Are you _kidding_ me? We're going to ride _that_?!" asked Sakura incredulously, pointing at the polished brooms lying side by side on the grass. 

They were standing in the middle of the Quidditch pitch, where the cold wind was merciless. A cloud drifted to cover the moon, and the temperature seemed to drop another few degrees.

Sakura shivered and pulled her wizard robes tighter around her petite body.

"Well, I'm not. So you'd better get on and take off; I and Naruto have to start our rounds already. Any need for communication and you can use the radio transmitters I gave you," said Neji, Byakugan activated.

"Okay okay. Jeez. Don't be such a wuss," muttered Sakura. Neji scowled at her for a moment before beckoning Naruto to follow him into the castle.

"See you two later, 'ttebayo!" hollered Naruto, before getting a hard bash on the head delivered by non other than the Hyuuga. Neji made a silencing motion to Naruto, who, still rubbing his sore head, nodded and the both of them disappeared into the castle.

"Now, how the hell are we supposed to fly on these things?" asked Sakura, shivering. She wished she had worn something more than her normal ninja clothing under the robes.

"Oh, I don't know. Wait for Naruto to come screaming 'I HATE RAMEN!' maybe?" replied Sauske sarcastically, swinging his leg over the broom. Sakura scowled at him.

"Whatever, Sasu-_gay_," retorted the medic, imitating Sasuke and swinging her leg over the broom. She stuck out a tongue at him. Sasuke smirked at her childishness before kicking off hard, spraying sand and dust to Sakura.

"Hey!! What was that for! Damn you, Uchiha! HEY! LISTEN TO ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!!!" yelled Sakura, shaking a fist angrily at Sasuke, who was hovering about 30 meters in the air.

"Make me!" Sasuke shouted back, chuckling when Sakura put her inhuman strength to use and kick off harder than he had, shooting past him and further up.

"What're you laughing at?!" snarled Sakura at Sasuke, who was trying to turn his laughter into hacking coughs. She harrumphed and straightened her disheveled hair.

"How'd you like it if I did this to your hair, huh?" Sakura reached forward and ruffled Sasuke's hair. The laughter slid off his handsome face and he mocked a growl at Sakura, who in turn clutched her stomach from laughing to hard. Sasuke's expression was priceless. So was his hair. Sakura was laughing so hard that she almost fell off her broom.

"Careful, woman. You're the medic here," said Sasuke, supporting Sakura by holding her elbow as she tried to balance herself again. Sakura stuck out her tongue at him again.

"Tch. Annoying."

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME, JERK?!"

"_Annoying_, Haruno."

"AT LEAST I'M NOT THE ONE WITH THE _CHICKEN BUTT HAIR_, BASTARD!!"

"Chic – What did you just call my hair."

"CHICKEN BUTT HAIR, _JERK-OFF_!!"

"You _so_ did not just say that."

"SO WHAT IF I DI - !! Oh shit, run – I mean, _FLY_!!!"

* * *

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his unkempt jet black hair. He pressed his forehead onto the cool surface of the window pane. The sounds of Neville's and Ron's snores had kept him awake. And yet there was another reason as to why he could not sleep. 

It was those dreams again.

First it had been about an old man having the killing curse cast on him, by non other than Lord Voldemort himself.

Then now there's another dream. A much more frightening one. One which told Harry that Voldemort has gained another ally. And not just another ally, but an extremely powerful one. One that even the snake wizard was afraid of.

Harry has been having these dreams for over a few days now, all depicting a scene where he's watching mysterious figure in the black cloak from Voldemort's point of view, where both of them are having a conversation.

Harry couldn't make neither head nor tail of what they had been talking about. However, he managed to catch a snippet of it, in which the mysterious figure said something about a war against the Hidden Village of the Leaves. That left Harry even more puzzled.

No place like that exists, right?

Then again, he never knew Hogwarts existed until the day Hagrid tore down the door, sprouted a pig's tail on Dudley to tell him that he was a well-known wizard.

Harry sighed for the umpteenth time that day, and gazed out into the moon.

Suddenly, among the darkness, he saw a flash of pink.

_'Wha - ?' _

Harry pressed his face harder onto the glass, his glasses cutting into the bridge of his nose.

There was another streak of pink, this time accompanied by something black; blacker than the sky. It was soaring through the sky, spinning around each other at a speed which could match his Firebolt's.

_'Death Eaters?'_ thought Harry, then shook his head. That wasn't possible. Which Death Eater would have anything pink on them?

He scrambled out of his comfortable position and rummaged his trunk, as quietly as he could, to find his omniculars. Finally finding them, he rushed back to the window and jammed the special binoculars onto his eyes, intent on finding out who was flying around so late in the night.

His vision slowly began to focus on the two flying objects. He turned a dial on the side of the omniculars, slowing down whatever he was seeing enough to be able to let him recognize who they were.

As slow as he had put his omniculars, the flying objects were moving in such a random and fast pace that Harry found it hard to catch up. He finally got his chance when the streak of pink seemed to collide with the black one.

Harry zoomed in.

_'Sasuke and Sakura?' _

* * *

**Author's Note:** HAH! How's that for some retarded ending?! A lil' bit of a cliffy there, eh? 

This chapter was typed out in a 'spur of the moment' kinda thing. I managed to finish it last night and editted it today. It's mostly something I did to make me feel like I actually DID something.

I'm VERY VERY sorry for the shortness of this chapter and the lack of plot in this chap. And the lack of SasuSaku fluff.

So, as I said, I won't be updating anytime during this week or next, cause of the exams and shit. So... Yeah...

Read and Review please! I'm aiming for 300 reviews before I reach my tenth chapter... Hahah. That's asking too much, I know. But it doesn't hurt to hope, ne?

I'm feeling very guilty about this chapter and the super long wait...


	9. Goblet of Fire:The Fourth Champion

**Author's Note:** Heeeyyyy people! I just decided to update. It was another 'spur of the moment' thing. Soo... yeah... I have my Mathematics End-of-Year exams tomorrow, which sucks.

I just needed an escape from reality.

So anyways... Enjoy!

* * *

Come on everybody stand up  
Agero kyou ichiban no jikan da  
Me ni mo tomoran no speed wo handa  
Dare mo nobinattori ko kanba yeah 

Come on everybody hands up  
Mata ashita no heroes wa comeback  
Tsuujou kazoe hibi wo countdown  
Let's go, 3-2-1 make some noise!!

* * *

The next morning, Harry woke up with a plan fully formed in his head, and a heavy weight on his shoulders. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that the Goblet of Fire was finally going to pick the three Triwizard champions on that day.

Then there was Sasuke and Sakura flying around in the middle of the night with a speed which could possibly have been faster and sharper than his beloved Firebolt.

He decided to talk to Ron and Hermione about that.

Sighing, Harry slowly got off his bed and dragged his feet to the bathroom, grabbing his towel on the way.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

"Dobe. Shut the _bloody_ hell up before I gauge your balls off with a teaspoon and shove it up your ass."

"Ouch."

Sakura stifled her giggle behind her hand as she used the other to thump Neji on the back. The poor Hyuuga prodigy had choked on his orange juice upon Sasuke's threat.

Naruto had paled slightly, before turning to his usual self, and stuck his tongue out at the Uchiha. Sasuke glowered at him for a moment, before muttering a small 'che' and rolling his eyes.

"Good morning," said Hermione as she sat down next to Naruto. Soon enough, Harry settled down next to her while Ron sat down next to Sakura.

"Mornin'" replied Sakura, smiling.

"Good morning," said Neji, being polite and Hyuuga-like as ever.

"HEY!!" greeted Naruto, showing his white canines.

"Hn," grunted Sasuke, resting his chin on one palm while the other hand was twirling the teaspoon he had been threatening Naruto with, appearing bored.

Idle chat went on between the shinobi and wizards. Ron was halfway through complaining about his dress robes when he suddenly paled and stopped talking.

"Er… Ron? Are you okay?" asked Sakura uncertainly. Ron looked ready to barf right there and then.

"I-it's him, guys. It's him!" he whispered excitedly, unknowingly tugging at Sakura's robe sleeve.

"Huh? Who?"

"Viktor Krum!"

Now that he said it, the wizards and ninjas suddenly realized that the thick-browed famous Quidditch player had entered the Great Hall. Fan-girls started squealing and throwing at him from all sides, asking for autographs and such.

"So? He's just a – what are you doing, Ron?" questioned Hermione, raising an eyebrow at the red head, who was currently searching his pockets for something.

"Bloody – Does anyone happen to have a quill with them? Permanent-inked ones won't hurt, either," Ron asked, looking around at all of them. Hermione gave him an incredulous look while Harry could only stare at him, torn between laughing at Hermione's expression and smacking his forehead at Ron's fan-girl/boy-ish-ness.

"That's it. I'm going to the library. See you guys later," said Hermione, taking her last bite on her toast before stand up.

"What?! We don't even have lessons today! The Champions for the Triwizard tournament are going to be picked today and it's Halloween, remember?" exclaimed Ron.

"Yes. In fact, I do, Ronald. It's just that I would very much rather like to spend my time within the sane zone, rather than the insane part," Hermione retorted, before turning on her heel and stalking off, bushy hair bobbing up and down slightly. Naruto gave a series of loud and deliberate coughs, sounding suspiciously like –cough-owned-cough-.

"Hey there, sweet little Ronnie-poo!" greeted the Weasley twins, sitting down next to Harry and Ron. "It'll be a really nice change to the environment if you'd close that mouth of yours."

Ron flushed.

"Don't call me that!"

Sasuke quirked a dark eyebrow, Neji mouthed 'Ronnie-poo?' to Sakura, who in turn was trying to kick Naruto under the table to stop his silent fit of laughter.

"So anyway, you young people excited about the Triwizard Champions?" asked Fred.

"I heard that stupid prat from Hufflepuff put his name in the Goblet. I think his name was Cedric Diggory," added George.

"What?! That pretty-boy Diggory?!" exclaimed Ron.

"Why? What's wrong with him?" inquired Sakura.

"He's got no real talent, really," said Fred nonchalantly, drinking some juice from Ron's goblet.

"Yeah. Speak of the devil," mutter Ron.

Cedric Diggory and his bunch of fan-girls had just walked through the entrance of the Great Hall, laughing at something he just said. The wizards and Shinobi turned their heads to look at the Hufflepuff boy.

He was normal looking, maybe a little more handsome than some other boys. But really, the Shinobi couldn't really see nor sense anything special within the boy.

"Just another typical boy," uttered Sasuke, resuming his brooding; arms folded on the table and onyx eyes staring straight ahead, stoic face remaining impassive.

"Jeez, teme! Just 'cause you're a ni - !" Naruto began to yell. With sharp reflexes, Sasuke threw the teaspoon at the blonde, hitting him square on the nose.

" – Gryffindor doesn't mean you're - " Sakura quickly interjected. She shot Naruto a venomous glare.

" – Better than him!" ended Neji rather hastily, silvery eyes suddenly on alert.

Harry raised an eyebrow suspiciously at the Japanese students. The Weasleys, however, did not notice anything strange and went on with their usual banter.

"By the way, you're Neji Hyuuga, right?" asked Fred abruptly, interrupting the ninjas' glares at Naruto, who breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Yes," replied Neji monotonously.

"Well, I've always been wondering, how'd you get your hair to grow that long and walk around still looking like a man?"

Harry Potter gave in to the urge to smack his own scarred forehead.

* * *

"We're going to Hagrid's before the feast. You guys want to come with?" asked Ron hopefully. Another reason for liking the ninjas, as weird a group as they were; the ninja's did not have a problem with Hagrid, unlike the rest of the student body.

"Yeah, whatever," answered Neji with a shrug of his broad shoulders.

'_Not like we have a choice, anyway.'_

* * *

After having Hagrid ditch them after escorting Madam Maxine, the Beauxbatons headmaster, the ninjas and wizards let themselves out of the cabin and shut the door behind them. It was already surprisingly dark outside. Drawing their cloaks more closely around themselves, they set off up the sloping lawns.

"Ooh, it's them, look!" Hermione whispered.

The Durmstrang party were walking up towards the castle from the lake. Viktor Krum was walking side by side with Karkaroff, and the other Durmstrang students were straggling along behind them. Ron watched Krum excitedly, but Krum did not look around as he reached the front doors a little ahead of Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto, Neji, Harry, Ron and Hermione, and proceeded through them.

When they entered the candlelit Great Hall it was almost full. The Goblet of Fire had been moved from its original position; it was now standing in front of Dumbledore's empty chair at the teachers' table.

"Hope it's Angelina," said Fred, as the seven Gryffindors settled down.

"So do I!" said Hermione breathlessly. "Well, we'll know soon!"

Sakura tugged at Sasuke's sleeve. He quirked an eyebrow at her.

"_I have a bad feeling about this_," Sakura whispered softly in Japanese.

"_Why? What kind of bad feeling?_" asked Sasuke, looking slightly concerned.

"_Like, something's about to go wrong tonight. Something's that's unexpected_," she said, still clutching at Sasuke's sleeve.

"_Look, if anything happens, it'll be okay. I mean, how bad can it get? I'm here. Naruto's here. Hyuuga's here. Alright?_" Sasuke assured her, giving her one of his really rare smiles. Sakura hesitated, before nodding and letting go of Sasuke's sleeve.

The Halloween feast seemed to drag on forever. Maybe it was because Sakura didn't seem to fancy the extravagantly prepared food due to the dreaded feeling. Sasuke didn't seem much in the mood to eat either, by the looks of it. His dark brows were furrowed together, looking deep in thought.

Like everyone else in the Hall, judging by the constantly craning necks, the impatient expressions on every face, the fidgeting and the standing up to see whether Dumbledore had finished eating yet, Sakura simply wanted the plates to clear, and to hear who had been selected as champions.

At long last, the golden plates returned to their original spotless state. There was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the Great Hall, which died away almost instantly as Dumbledore got to his feet. On either side of him, the other headmasters were looking tensed and expectant as anyone.

"Well, the Goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbldore. "I estimate that it requires only one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them to please come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber where they will receive their first instructions."

He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it. At once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them all into a state of semi-darkness. A cold dread swept over Sakura's being, and she clutched Sasuke's robes tightly.

The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful to the eyes. Everyone watched, waiting. As seconds ticked, the kunoichi's grip on her childhood crush's robe tightened.

"Any second…" Lee Jordan whispered, three seats from Neji.

The flames inside the Goblet turned red suddenly. Sparks began to fly from it. Sasuke and Neji frowned, hands slowly inching towards their well-hidden weapons.

The next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it. The whole room gasped. Neji and Sasuke allowed their hands to drift back to their original positions, at the same time, not letting their guards down.

Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue white.

"The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear and firm voice, "will be Viktor Krum."

"No surprises there!" yelled Ron, as a storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall. Viktor Krum rose from the Slytherin table, and slouched towards Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.

"Bravo, Viktor!" boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. "Knew you had it in you!"

The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was diverted back to the Goblet of Fire, which seconds later, turned red once again. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!"

"Isn't that the girl you said who looks like a Veela?" Harry asked Ron over the loud applause.

"Yeah…" replied Ron dreamily, gazing at the platinum blonde as she strutted between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables.

When Fleur Delacour, too, had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it.

The Hogwarts champion was about to be chosen.

The Goblet of Fire turned red once more. Sparks showered out of it. The tongue of the flame shot high into the air, possibly higher and larger than it was supposed to be, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.

"The Hogwarts champion," he called, before halting abruptly.

For what seemed like hours he stared at the charred piece of paper. The silence was almost deafening. No one moved, nor did it seem like anyone was breathing. The Hall seemed to have stopped breathing altogether.

He looked up, blue eyes seemingly losing its twinkle for a moment. His piercing gaze met Harry's confused one.

"Harry Potter."

Naruto clapped enthusiastically, just like how he had for the other champions, before Neji smacked him on the side of the head.

"But I thought - !" Naruto began loudly, before he paused. "Wait… He's not of age, is he?"

No one replied. Everyone's gaze was directed at the green-eyed boy, who looked stunned.

Saying that Harry was stunned was the understatement of the month. He sat there, aware that every head in the Hall had turned to look at him. He felt numb. He had no heard correctly. _There was no way…_

There was no applause. A buzzing, as though of angry bees, was starting to fill the hall. Harry sat there, frozen in his seat.

Harry turned to Ron, Hermione and the ninjas; beyond them, he saw the long Gryffindor table all watching them, open-mouthed.

"I didn't put my name in," Harry said blankly. "You know I didn't."

Ron and Hermione stared just as blankly back. Sasuke and Neji frowned. Naruto looked confused. The dreaded feeling in Sakura's stomach seemed to have intensified.

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore called again. "Harry! Up here, if you please!"

"Go on," whispered Hermione, nudging him slightly.

"I believe you. Now go," said Sakura, giving him a slight push with trembling hands. Harry got to his feet, trod on the hem of his robes and stumbled slightly. He set off up the gap between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables. Once he was out of sight, Dumbledore cleared his throat and almost instantly the angry buzzing in the Great Hall stopped.

"Well, we now have our three champions - ," he began.

"But that's unfair! He's not even of age!" yelled Draco Malfoy, not caring if he was being rude. A series of angry protests followed.

Dumbledore calmly raised his hand. The tumult took some time before it finally ceased. Once it did, Dumbledore opened his mouth again, about to continue what he was saying, before he stopped suddenly. It was apparent to everybody what had distracted him.

The fire in the Goblet had turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it, greater than the previous one. An extremely long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.

Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the piece of parchment, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore.

A cold wave seemed to wash over Sakura and she shuddered and flinched. The blood from her head seemed to have rushed to her toes. Sasuke, Naruto and Neji stared at her, concerned. Naruto reached out a hand to ask her if she was okay, but Dumbledore cleared his throat.

And he read out –

"Sakura Haruno."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the short chapter. I just needed to get the plot moving. This idea's been stuck in my head through my Science AND English exams. Jeezum. I'm NOT gonna risk it and let it still be stuck in my head through my Math exam 'cause it's my last hope to get good grades. I mean, literally.

So, how was it? Good? Bad? I kinda liked this chapter, in some kind of weird-ass way.

Oh, and about the 300 reviews aim; do you guys think I can make it? Besides that, honest reviews are welcomed! (Btw, those reviewers who asked where I'm from and such, just check out my profile page, will ya?:))

Reviews make the world go round. At least, mine does.

Till next chap!


	10. Rules & Regulations:Underaged Champions

**Author's Note:** OMG people!! I want to thank you guys so SO much for the 300+ reviews! Kyaa!! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!! As a... er... reward... I decided to post again! Whee I'm a little hyper today, and am on a typing streak. I've already typed out the beginning of next chapter. :D

I'm so happy! Damnit, you guys made me so happy!

-sniffle-

Well, most parts of this chapter is taken from the book itself, as I wasn't able to figure another way to type it out without missing out any detail... So.. Yeah...

Enjoy! XD

* * *

Come on everybody stand up  
Agero kyou ichiban no jikan da  
Me ni mo tomoran no speed wo handa  
Dare mo nobinattori ko kanba yeah 

Come on everybody hands up  
Mata ashita no heroes wa comeback  
Tsuujou kazoe hibi wo countdown  
Let's go, 3-2-1 make some noise!!

* * *

Naruto froze. Sasuke froze. Neji froze. Everyone seemed to freeze.

_That couldn't be possible…_

_Another champion?_

A heavy and cold feeling washed over Sakura like a wave, the intensity too great until she could no longer feel her arms and legs. She was numb. The feeling in her being was so immense that she was on the brink of falling into unconsciousness.

There was no angry buzzing this time, just a shocked silence. Neji looked politely astonished. Naruto's cerulean eyes were nearly bulging out of its socket, and Sasuke looked bewildered. Barely able to string words together to form a proper sentence, Sakura made a futile attempt to say something, _anything_, to break the silence.

"N-no… I d-didn't… c-can't be… n-no… I didn't!"

They could only stare as blankly back, apparently at a loss of words. Sakura turned to Ron and Hermione, who looked absolutely astounded.

"Haruno, Sakura! Sakura! Up here, please!" Dumbledore called. Next to him, Professor McGonagall looked stunned; the other headmasters and teachers bore same expressions. Ludo Bagman's face lit up, in contrast to Barty Crouch's face.

"Just go," said Sasuke softly, giving Sakura a slight push.

Sakura slowly stood on her unsteady feet and walked down the aisle, the same way Harry had. As she passed the teacher's table, her shocked gaze met Dumbledore's unreadable ones. He did not look happy.

Sakura felt the stares of the students and teachers burning upon her back as she walked down the gap between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff table. The Hufflepuffs didn't look too happy, either.

"Well… Through the door, Sakura," said Dumbledore. He wasn't smiling.

Hagrid, who had taken a liking to the ninjas, could only stare in complete astonishment as she passed, like everyone else.

Sakura went through the door out of the Great Hall, and found herself in a smaller room, lined with paintings of witches and wizards. A handsome fire was roaring in the fireplace opposite her.

Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour were grouped around the fire, while Harry just stood there at the doorway. Krum and Fleur looked strangely impressive, silhouetted against the flames. Krum, hunched up and brooding, was leaning against the mantelpiece. Fleur looked around, as though just noticing Harry and Sakura there, and threw back her sheet of long, silvery hair.

Harry didn't seem to notice Sakura was there because he jumped, startled, when Sakura took a shaky breath next to him.

"W-what are you doing here?" stuttered Harry. Before Sakura could answer, Fleur spoke.

"What is it?" she said. "Do zey want us back in ze Hall?"

Harry exchanged glances with Sakura, who looked petrified. One glance, and Harry could tell something wasn't right. Harry looked back at Fleur; she thought they had come to deliver a message. He and Sakura stared at Krum and Fleur; it struck them how very tall both of them were.

There was a sound of scurrying feet behind them, and Ludo Bagman entered the room. He took Harry and Sakura by the arm and led them forwards.

"Extraordinary!" he muttered, squeezing Harry's and Sakura's arms. "Absolutely extraordinary! Gentleman, Lady," he added, approaching the fireside and addressing the two taller champions.

"May I introduce – incredible though it may seem – the third and _fourth_ Triwizard champion?"

Viktor Krum straightened up. His surly face darkened as he surveyed Harry and Sakura. Fleur Delacour, however, tossed her hair, smiling, and said, "Oh, vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman."

"Joke?" Bagman repeated, bewildered. "No, no, not at all! Mister Potter's and Miss Haruno's name just came out of the Goblet of Fire!"

Krum's thick eyebrows contracted slightly. Fleur frowned. "But evidently zair 'as been a mistake," she said contemptuously to Bagman. "Zey cannot compete. Zey are too young."

"Well… it is amazing," said Bagman, rubbing his chin and smiling down at Harry and Sakura. "But as you know, the age restriction was only imposed this year as an extra safety measure. And as his name's out of the Goblet… I mean, I don't think there can be any ducking out at this stage. It's down in the rules, you're obliged… Harry and Sakura will just have to do the best they - "

The door behind them opened again, and a large group of people came in: Professor Dumbledore, followed closely by Mr Crouch, Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape. Harry and Sakura heard the buzzing of the hundreds of students on the other side of the wall, before Professor McGonagall closed the door.

"Madame Maxime!" said Fleur at once, striding over to her headmistress. "Zey are saying zat zis little boy and girl is to compete also!"

Beneath Sakura's numb disbelief, she felt a ripple of anger. _Little girl?_

Madame Maxime at drawn herself to her full height, the top of her head brushing against the candle-filled chandelier, and her gigantic black satin bosom swelled.

"What is ze meaning of zis, Dumbly-dorr?" she said imperiously.

"I'd rather like to know that myself, Dumbledore," said Professor Karkaroff. There was a steely smile on his face, and his blue eyes were like chips of ice. "_Two_ Hogwarts champions? And they're _both_ under-age! I don't remember anyone telling me the host school is allowed two champions below the age restriction – or have I not read the rules carefully enough?"

He gave a short and nasty laugh.

"_C'est impossible_," said Madame Maxime, whose enormous hand was on Fleur's much smaller shoulder. "'Ogwarts cannot 'ave two champions. It is most injust."

"We were under the impression that your Age Line would keep out younger contestants, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff, his steely smile in place, though his eyes became colder. "Otherwise, we would, of course, have brought along a wider selection of candidates from our own schools."

"It's no one's fault but Potter's and Haruno's, Karkaroff," said Snape softly. His black eyes were alight with malice. "Don't go blaming Dumbledore for Potter's and Haruno's determination to break rules. Potter's been crossing lines ever since he arrived here - "

"Thank you, Severus," said Dumbledore firmly, and Snape went quiet, though his eyes still glinted malevolently through his curtain of greasy black hair.

Professor Dumbledore was now looking down at Harry and Sakura, who looked back at him.

"Did you put your names into the Goblet of Fire, Harry, Sakura?" Dumbledore asked calmly.

"No," said Harry and Sakura at the same time. They were very aware of everybody watching him closely. Snape's eyes narrowed. Dumbledore contemplated something in his mind.

_If Harry got chosen, it isn't exactly a surprise… But this Haruno girl, this female ninja, what's she got?_

Snape made a soft noise of impatient disbelief.

"Did you ask an older student to put it into the Goblet of Fire for you?" said Professor Dumbledore, ignoring Snape.

"No," said Sakura vehemently. Dumbledore looked at her. _It does make sense. She has no business in the wizarding world; all she needs to do is keep Harry safe. And by the looks of the other day in my office, she doesn't seem too keen on staying here, knowing that her home village was under attack…_

" – must 'ave made a mistake wiz ze line," said Madame Maxime, shrugging.

"It is possible, of course," said Dumbledore politely.

"Dumbledore, you know perfectly well you did not make a mistake!" said Professor McGonagall angrily. "Really, what nonsense! Harry could not have crossed the line himself, and as Professor Dumbledore believes that he did not persuade an older student to do it for him, I'm sure that should be good enough for everyone else!"

She shot a very angry look at Snape, and Harry felt a rush of gratitude for her.

"Mr Crouch… Mr Bagman," said Karkaroff, his voice unctuous once more, "you are our… er … objective judges. Surely you will agree that this is most irregular?"

"We must follow the rules, and the rules clearly state that those people whose names come out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the tournament," said Barty Crouch in his usual curt voice.

"Well, Barty knows the rulebook back to front," said Bagman, beaming and turning to the headmasters.

"I insist upon resubmitting the names - " began Karkaroff insistently, his face wearing an ugly look.

"The Goblet of Fire's just gone out. It won't re-ignite until the start of the next Tournament," said a gruff voice from the doorway. "In which," Moody continued, raising a hand to silence Karkaroof who was about to yell. "Durmstrang and Beauxbatons _have_ to compete. Binding Magical Contract, like Dumbledore said. Convenient, eh?"

Moody entered the room, limping towards the fire.

"Convenient? I'm afraid I don't understand you, Moody," said Karkaroff, trying to sound disdainful, but failing miserably.

"Don't you?" said Moody quietly. "It's very simple, Karkaroff. Someone put Potter's and Haruno's name in the Goblet knowing they'd have to compete if it came out."

"Evidently, someone 'oo wished to give 'Ogwarts two bites at ze apple!" said Madame Maxime.

"I quite agree, Madame Maxime," said Karkaroff, bowing to her. "I shall be lodging a complaint - "

"Maybe someone's hoping Potter and Haruno is going to die during the competition," said Moody, interrupting Karkaroff for the second time, with the merest trace of a growl.

A tensed silence followed these words.

Ludo Bagman, who was looking very anxious indeed, bounced nervously up and down on his feet and said, "Moody, old man… what a thing to say!"

"We all know Professor Moody considers the morning wasted if he hasn't discovered six plots to murder him before lunch - "

"Imagining things, am I?" growled Moody, once again interrupting Karkaroff, who looked livid. "Seeing things, eh? It was a skilled witch or wizard who put their names in the Goblet…"

"What evidence is zere of zat?" said Madame Maxime, throwing her large hands up.

"Because they hoodwinked a very powerful magical object!" said Moody, sounding slightly exasperated. "It would have needed an exceptionally strong Confundus Charm to bamboozle that Goblet into forgetting that only three schools compete in the _Tournament_… I'm guessing they submitted Potter's name under Hogwarts, and Haruno's name under a fourth school, to make sure she was the only one in her category…"

Sakura drifted away from the conversation for a few moments. _Why was she chosen? She wasn't even a witch, for Kami's sake! But, there's another theory… What if Tsunade-shishou wanted one of us to stay close to Harry, and she got chosen instead of Sasuke, Naruto and Neji? Then again, she wouldn't have known Harry would have gotten chosen… Damn, this is all too confusing; I need to talk to the boys about this…_

"Alastor!" said Dumbledore warningly, bringing Sakura back to reality. She wondered briefly who he was talking to, before realizing it was Moody. Moody fell silent, surveying Karkaroff with satisfaction. Karkaroff's face was burning.

"How this situation arose, we do not know," said Dumbledore to everyone gathered in the room. "It seems to me, however, that we have no choice but to accept it. Both Harry and Sakura have been chosen to compete in the Tournament. This, therefore, they will do…"

Silence followed. Bagman shifted uncomfortably, and said, "Barty? Want to do the honours?"

Mr Crouch seemed to come out of a deep reverie.

"Yes," he said. "Instructions… Yes… The first task…"

"The first task is designed to test your daring," he told Sakura, Harry, Krum and Fleur. "So we are not going to be telling you what it is. Courage is the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard… very important…"

"The first task will take place on November the twenty-fourth, in front of the other students and the panel of judges. The champions are not permitted to ask for or accept help of any kind from their teachers to complete the tasks in the tournament. The champions will face the first challenge armed only with their wands. They will receive information about the second task when the first is over. Owning to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the Tournament, the champions are exempted from end-of-year tests."

"I think that is all, Dumbledore?" said Crouch.

"Yes. I think so," he replied. Dumbledore turned to Harry and Sakura. "Harry, Sakura, I suggest you go up to bed," he said, smiling at them. 'I am sure Gryffindor is waiting to celebrate with you, and it would be a shame to deprive them of this excellent excuse to make a great deal of noise and mess."

Sakura glanced at Harry, who nodded, and they left together.

The Great Hall was deserted now; the candles had burnt low, giving the jagged smiles of the pumpkins an eerie, flickering quality.

The both of them walked in silence, only broken by the sound of their shuffling feet.

"So…" began Harry uncertainly.

"Yeah…" mumbled Sakura.

"You didn't put your name in, did you?"

"No. You?"

"Definitely not."

Silence.

They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. Sakura let Harry say the password.

"Balderdash," and the portrait door swung open.

The blast of noise that met Harry's and Sakura's ears when the portrait opened almost knocked them backwards. Next thing they knew, they were being wrenched inside the common room by about a dozen pairs of hands, and were facing the whole Gryffindor house, all of whom were screaming, applauding and whistling.

Well.

Crap.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry if it's a little too mundane, but I needed to get the facts out, in case some of it clashes with other fact in the later chapters...

This chapter is short, yes, I agree. But I couldn't find another way to end it. I just love endings like these. :)

So... how was it?? Review, please!

Till next chapter!


	11. Friends or Fiends:Mission Report

**Author's Note:** Yo. I've decided that my chapters are going to be slightly shorter, but I'll be posting more often. Fair enough??

Anywhos, this chapter is pretty corny, boring and cheesy, 'specially the SasuSaku 'moment' I managed to squeeze in.

And as for one of my reviewers, an anonymous one named 'dan', said that 'too many people like sakura its sasuxsaku not sakuxeveryone else' and 'this story is --' as quoted, I seriously feel like tearing out your intestines and stuffing them up your pathetic ass. I'm terribly sorry for being vulgar, but really, what the hell is his problem?? It's labelled as SasuSaku because in the end, Sasuke ends up with Sakura, nutjob! I have no idea what that '--' meant, nor do I want to know. All I know is that I seriously want to rip your guts out and feed it to Sasuke's fangirls.

Okay. That aside...

Hope you guys enjoy!! XD ( I know I have a really bad temper. Ha ha ha...)

* * *

Come on everybody stand up  
Agero kyou ichiban no jikan da  
Me ni mo tomoran no speed wo handa  
Dare mo nobinattori ko kanba yeah

Come on everybody hands up  
Mata ashita no heroes wa comeback  
Tsuujou kazoe hibi wo countdown  
Let's go, 3-2-1 make some noise!!

* * *

"How in the freaking hell did Sakura get chosen as a Triwizard _fourth_ champion?" muttered Sasuke, running his hand through his raven spikes. Naruto plopped, face-down, onto Sasuke's bed which Sasuke was sitting cross-legged on. 

"Don't do that on my bed," sneered Sasuke half-heartedly. Neji sighed. He sat on the edge of the bed, a frown etched on his handsome features.

Ron was lying on his bed, a weird and uncharacteristic look on his heavily freckled face. He hadn't spoken a word to anyone since Harry got chosen. _Shouldn't he be at the party downstairs, celebrating Harry's so-called success? _

"Yo, Ron!" said Naruto suddenly, lifting his head up. Ron slowly glanced up at the blonde. "Shouldn't you be down in the common room with the rest?!"

"I could ask you the same thing," replied Ron, voice underlined with something that was not of his character.

The dormitory door burst open, and a disheveled looking Harry stumbled in, a Gryffindor banner draped around him like a cloak. Sasuke, Naruto, Neji and Ron looked up when he slammed the door behind him.

"Where've you been?" Harry said.

"Oh, hello," said Ron.

He was grinning, but it looked very odd, strained sort of grin. Harry hastened to take the banner off him, but it was knotted very tightly. Ron lay on the bed without moving, watching Harry struggle to remove it.

The ninjas in the room remained silent, observing with their shinobi-trained eyes.

"So," Ron said, once Harry got the banner off him and clutched it in his hand, ready to throw it at something. "Congratulations."

"What d'you mean, _congratulations_?" said Harry, staring at Ron. There was definitely something weird with the way he was smiling; it was more like a grimace.

"Well… no one else got across the Age Line… Besides _Sakura_, of course," said Ron, almost spitting out the last part. "Not even Fred and Geogre. What did you use? The Invisibility Cloak?"

"The Invisibility Cloak wouldn't have gotten me over that line," said Harry slowly.

"Oh, right," said Ron. "I thought you might've told me if it was the Cloak… because it would've covered both of us, wouldn't it? But you found another way, did you?"

"Listen, I didn't put my name in that Goblet. Someone else must've done it."

Ron raised his eyebrows. "What would they do that for?"

Harry shrugged.

Ron's eyebrows rose so high that they were in danger of disappearing into his hair.

"It's ok, you know, you can tell _me_ the truth," he said. "If you don't want everyone else to know, fine, but I don't know why you're bothering to lie. You didn't get in trouble for that did you? That friend of the Fat Lady, she told us that Dumbledore's letting you enter, along with Sakura. A thousand Galleons prize money, eh? And you don't have to do end-of-year tests either…"

"I didn't put my name in that Goblet! And neither did Sakura!" said Harry, starting to feel angry.

"Yeah, ok," said Ron, skeptically. "Only you said this morning you'd have done it last night, and no one would've seen you. I'm not stupid, you know."

"You're doing a really good impression of it," snapped Harry.

Ron was getting on his last nerves.

"Yeah?" said Ron, and there was no trace of a grin forced or otherwise, on his face now. "You want to get to bed, Harry. I expect you'll need to be up early tomorrow for a photocall or something."

That's it. That was his last nerve.

"If you're so bloody desperate to become a Triwizard Champion, why don't you just go run to Dumbledore like the pathetically stupid baby you are?! Maybe, if you look smart enough, he'll let you take over my place as the Hogwarts Champion!!" yelled Harry, throwing the Gryffindor banner at Ron's face, rage powering his throw. Ron's face turned bright red; always a danger sign.

"And why the hell would I even want to take over the place of an attention-seeking prat?!" shouted Ron, looking furious.

"How would I know what goes on in that small brain of yours?! Oh, wait, it's too small for anything to go on!" Harry snapped back viciously. Ron's face turned a violent shade of scarlet.

"Why you!"

And then he pounced on Harry, fist landing on Harry's jaw. Upon instinct, Harry lashed out a foot, catching Ron in the stomach. Ron drew back a fist, and without thinking, smashed it onto Harry's stomach.

"Holy cr- !" cursed Naruto, before jumping off the bed, along with Sasuke and Neji.

"Oi, oi!! Break it up!" yelled Naruto helplessly. Sasuke's ninja instincts kicked in.

"Get Ron, I'll get Harry," he said, Naruto nodded.

"OI!" bellowed Neji. "Tch. Damnit! PROTEGO!!"

Everything happened within the blink of an eye. Sasuke had grabbed Harry by the collar, and slammed him onto a wall, Naruto doing likewise for Ron. And not a moment too soon, a transparent and shiny sphere expanded from the middle of the room, separating the two wizards, who were currently restrained by the ninjas on opposite sides of the room. Neji stood in the middle, wand out.

"I never wanted all these, Ron!! So don't be an idiot and think that I do!!" Harry shouted across the room to Ron, struggling against Sasuke, who was clutching his shirt collar tightly, pressing him against the cool stone wall.

Ron didn't say anything. He violently tugged his shirt out of Naruto's grasp, jumped onto his bed, and wrenched the hangings shut around his four-poster, leaving Harry, Sasuke, Naruto and Neji standing there, staring at the dark velvet curtains.

Harry growled and roughly wrenched his shirt out of Sasuke's hand, throwing his robes unceremoniously onto the ground next to his bed just as Neji undid his spell.

He looked back at the dark velvet curtains of Ron's bed.

He'd been so sure. _So_ sure.

He'd been so sure, that Ron would have believed him.

Turns out he was wrong.

* * *

Sakura woke up with a start. Sitting upright, she ripped open the hangings around her bed. Hermione's bed was next to hers, and said person was sound asleep, back facing her. 

Running a hand through her pink locks, she grabbed a random shirt and put it on over her night top. A familiar and masculine scent engulfed her. She looked down at the shirt; Sasuke's shirt.

Sakura had a habit of keeping and wearing her team mates' shirts. Currently, she had Naruto's, Sasuke's, Kakashi's, Shikamaru's and Neji's. They were just more comfortable than her own, even if they were much too oversized for her.

Giggling silently, she slipped her small feet into the fuzzy bunny slippers and walked towards the dormitory door. Without making a sound, she began her descend down the spiraling stairs which led to the common room.

The sight that met her jade gaze surprised her. Sasuke was sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace, where the fire was roaring. One arm was resting on one raised knee, while the other leg dangled off the front of the couch. A comfortable-looking blanket was draped over his well-muscled shoulders. His obsidian eyes stared straight ahead, angular face illuminated with the light emitted from the fire.

He looked up when Sakura padded softly towards him.

"Can I sit here?" she asked softly, looking at the fire instead of meeting Sasuke's piercing gaze. Sasuke remained silent for a moment, before nodding.

They spent a very long moment staring at the fire after Sakura settled down next to Sasuke.

"Is that my shirt?" asked Sasuke suddenly.

"Huh? Oh… yeah," replied Sakura.

"What are you doing out of bed so late?" questioned Sasuke rather impassively.

"Can't sleep," Sakura said with a shrug of her small shoulders. Sasuke scrutinized her for a moment, before turning back to the fire.

"How'd did you get chosen as a Champion?" Sakura knew that was coming.

"I don't know, and neither does Harry," she replied, hoping that Sasuke believes her. He simply nodded, raven bangs swaying slightly.

"Moody thinks someone else put our names in the Goblet, knowing that we'd have to compete if we got chosen. He says that maybe that someone wants us to die trying to get through the Tournament," Sakura continued. Emerald and obsidian orbs stared at the fire instead of each other. Sasuke pondered for a moment, before nodding again.

"That Karkaroff guy seems odd. There's something strange about him. Something dark," said Sasuke.

"Hm… Yeah. I agree."

"So what's the first task?"

"H-huh? Oh! The first task, right… er… They didn't revealed what exactly we'll be facing. They only said it's got something to do with courage and facing things unknown beforehand."

Sasuke's eyes suddenly glinted with something unfamiliar as he whirled his head around to face her. "So you don't know what you're facing?"

"Uh… Yeah…"

Sasuke's dark brows furrowed. He studied her for some time before turning back to the fire. Sakura raised a delicate eyebrow at his actions.

Silence followed. No one moved, until Sakura suddenly shivered, and brought her arms around herself to keep herself warm. It was a cold night.

Movement on her right caught her eyes; Sasuke had just lifted part of the blanket with an arm, as though making space for her. Sasuke closed his beautiful onyx eyes.

"You want to join or not?" he said monotonously, not opening his eyes. Sakura blinked.

"Y-you sure?" she stuttered.

"Just get here."

Sakura blushed and scooted nearer to the lean form of the Sharingan wielder. Her blush intensified as she leaned closer to his torso, and Sasuke's arm placed itself over her shoulders. His scent was almost intoxicating, in a good way, of course. Sakura found herself feeling very comfortable in that position; Sasuke's arm resting on a raised knee, while the other arm was draped over her shoulders as she leaned against his warm body.

Her eyelids were getting heavy; she was sleepy.

"Sasuke…" whispered Sakura drowsily into his chest.

"Hn," replied Sasuke, looking down at the pink-haired kunoichi as she nuzzled her face on his chest.

"Thank you…"

And she fell asleep, snuggled comfortably on Sasuke. Sasuke looked at her peaceful face as she slept soundly, and he couldn't help but smirk slightly. She looked so adorable at that moment.

Unconsciously, Sasuke gently brush a strand of pink hair from her forehead.

"You're welcome."

* * *

When Harry woke up on Sunday morning, it took him a moment to remember why he felt so miserable and worried. Then the memory of the previous night rolled over him. He sat up and ripped back to curtains of his own four-poster, only to stifle a yell and roll off his bed, bringing the blankets with him. 

"What the hell is Sakura doing on Sasuke's bed?!" exclaimed Harry breathlessly from the carpeted ground. There was a soft groan, and Neji rolled to his side, opening his silver eyes a slit. Not a moment too soon, his eyes widened and he quickly brought up the blankets to his bare chest.

"What's she doing here?!" Neji demanded, pearl eyes wide. "And is that Sasuke's shirt she's wearing?" he added.

Even with all this ruckus, Naruto was still snoring.

The dormitory door opened, and ambled in Sasuke.

"What?" he said nonchalantly when he noticed Neji and Harry staring at him, hair all disheveled.

"What's she doing here, Uchiha?" growled Neji, indicating to the sleeping kunoichi. "And in your shirt?"

"She fell asleep in the common room, Hyuuga. I couldn't possibly leave her there nor could I go to the Girls' dormitory. And she has one of your shirts, too, you know," explained Sasuke, sounding annoyed.

"She does? Damn. It must've been my favourite shirt…" muttered Neji.

"All your shirts look the same, Hyuuga." Neji snarled at the Uchiha.

There were a few loud snores, and Naruto woke up. Rubbing his eyes tiredly, he glanced at Sakura and yawned widely.

"Oi. Hot stuff, wake up. You're always supposed to be up earlier than me," said Naruto tiredly, nudging the sleeping kunoichi gently.

"Hot stuff?" inquired Harry. He was still on the ground.

"I do not want to know," said Neji resolutely.

"Neither do I, Hyuuga," said Sasuke. "Neither do I."

* * *

The prospect of going own into the Great Hall and facing the Gryffindors, all treating Harry and Sakura like some sort of hero and heroine, seemed like such a swell idea. Excluding the part where the rest of the school were out to murder them. 

Therefore, Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, Neji, Harry and Hermione went out to the grounds for a walk. Hermione had brought some toast up for the ninjas and Harry to share.

Harry told Hermione exactly what happened after he left the Gryffindor table the other night as Naruto munched on the toast and the other ninjas listened carefully.

To his immense relief, she believed him without question.

"What about you, Sakura?" questioned the bushy-haired girl.

"I didn't put my name in," Sakura deadpanned. Hermione raised an eyebrow. Then she nodded.

"Of course. The look on your face when your name got called," she smiled. Sakura forced a smile to her face.

"Have you seen Ron?" Harry asked abruptly.

"Erm… yes… he was at breakfast. And is that a bruise on your cheek, Harry?" she asked apprehensively, attempting to look at the wound closer, but Harry tried to hide it from her.

"I-it's nothing, Hermione," Harry said hastily.

"_Nothing_? Who're you kidding? It took all three of us to stop you and Ron from tearing out each other's guts," said Naruto with his mouth full.

"You two were _fighting_?" asked Hermione incredulously. Harry didn't reply.

Sakura sighed.

"C'mere," she said, beckoning him towards her. He obliged, confused. Then, with a brush of her fingertips against his bruise, it was healed.

"H-how'd you - ?" stammered Hermione, then halted. She grabbed Harry's arm, and said, "Come on, Harry. I think we should write to Siri – I mean, Snuffles. He'd want to know about this."

Without waiting for an answer, Hermione practically hauled him across the grounds and into the castle, leaving behind four perplexed Konoha shinobi.

* * *

"We're supposed to write to Kakashi," said Neji unexpectedly as they were on their way back to the Great Hall. 

"What? Oh. Right. The weekly report," said Sakura with a roll of her jade eyes.

"So, which owl do we use?" Neji asked once they reached the Owlery. There was a rustle of feathers, and Sora landed on Neji's shoulder.

"Whatever," said Sasuke. Neji took a quill and a piece of parchment from his bag and began writing:

_Kakashi, _

_The past week in this school has been really great and all. Really. Nothing weird happened. Naruto still eats like a bottomless pit, even though he hasn't been eating ramen for the past week. That's an improvement. Impossible, but still an improvement. Sasuke's still got a stick up his arse. (Sasuke: So do you, Hyuuga.) And Sakura's doing perfectly fine. Really. _

_Harry got chosen as the Hogwarts Triwizard Champion. _

_So… yeah. That's about it. _

_Oh, and Sakura got chosen as the fourth Triwizard Champion. _

_-Neji _

"… Do you seriously call _that_ a mission report, Hyuuga?" questioned Sasuke after he read the letter over Sakura's shoulder.

"Well, yes. I mean, no… Whatever."

"Damn it. I miss my ramen. Can you tell Kaka-sensei to send over some ramen?!" exclaimed Naruto hopefully, azure eyes big and sparkly. Sakura smacked her forehead and snatched the quill from Neji's hand. She scribbled Naruto's request on the piece of parchment and quickly tied the scroll securely onto Sora's leg.

"Send it to Hatake Kakashi, in Konoha," whispered Sakura to the bird. Sora nipped her finger gently, and with a reassuring hoot, it took off.

"So… You guys think we can still make it for breakfast?" inquired Naruto innocently.

Sakura, Sasuke and Neji groaned.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Again, sorry if it's boring and corny and cheesy and stuff. But I'm a little pissed right now. 

-sigh-

Well, review if you wanna. :)

Till next chapter!


	12. Problems & Understanding:A Kiss From Him

**Author's Note:** Yo. I'm posting... AGAIN!

Damn the fuzzy plot balls...

I'm sorry if I'm rushing things here, but this freaking idea just attacked me in the middle of the night and I couldn't sleep... -.-

Anywhos...enjoy!! XD

* * *

Come on everybody stand up  
Agero kyou ichiban no jikan da  
Me ni mo tomoran no speed wo handa  
Dare mo nobinattori ko kanba yeah 

Come on everybody hands up  
Mata ashita no heroes wa comeback  
Tsuujou kazoe hibi wo countdown  
Let's go, 3-2-1 make some noise!!

* * *

The days seemed to pass by agonizingly slow, and as days sluggishly turned to weeks, Sakura began to feel the weight of the first task on her shoulders. 

She knew nuts on how to fight with a wand, much less attack without blowing her cover. The thing she was supposed to be facing a few days from now was supposedly something unusual and very rare to find. It really didn't take Shikamaru to figure that out, since the Tournament was only held once every century or so.

_'Kyaa! We're screwed!'_ whined Inner Sakura. Sakura banged her forehead onto the Potions essay which was due tomorrow.

"Problems, Haruno?" said a deep voice from the portrait hole. Sakura grudgingly looked up, to see the impressive form of the Hyuuga prodigy towering over her slouching form. She rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"Look, Neji. If you're not going to help me complete this pathetic essay, I suggest you leave me alone. I have an inner self, a potions essay and a freaking tournament I didn't even sign up for to deal with," said Sakura wearily. Neji chuckled softly and sat down on the couch which Sakura was sitting in front of.

"Why haven't you done your potions assignment? It was given a week ago…"

"Gee, Neji. I wonder why."

"Hey. What's wrong?" asked Neji, concern etched onto his handsome features as he peered at the kunoichi. Sakura rubbed her eyes again.

"I-I…," she sighed. "I just have a lot going on. Practically the entire school hates me and Harry. Trelawney's been screaming about my death over and over again. I don't know what the hell I'll be facing on November the 22nd. I don't know how to fight using a wand, and without blowing our cover as undercover ninjas. I'm scared that something will go wrong with this mission. Kaka-sensei still hasn't replied to our letter. We haven't had contact with the village for weeks, Neji. And then this load of crap gets dumped on me in the midst of everything."

Embarrassingly enough, Sakura realized that as she continued talking, tears were beginning to well up at the corners of her eyes, and her voice moved from loud to a wavering whisper. Sakura roughly rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands.

Neji gazed at her with unreadable pearl orbs. Sakura stared right back, trying to decipher what he was thinking.

"You shouldn't be thinking too much, Sakura," Neji said finally after a long time of silence. Sakura sighed irritably and ran a hand through her pink tresses, bringing her head back down onto the table.

"Look, Sakura. Everything's going to be okay - "

"That's what Sasuke told me the last time," Sakura snapped, lifting her head off the table. Inner Sakura gasped at the venom in her voice as she spoke those words to the Hyuuga. Apparently, Neji was just as taken aback as both outer and Inner Sakura because his wonderful eyes widened slightly. Sakura's emerald eyes immediately softened.

"O-oh. Damn it! I'm so sorry Neji! I didn't mean it!" apologized Sakura sincerely. Neji looked at her, before closing his eyes and standing up. Sakura could only watch his retreating back as he walked towards the spiraling stairs going up to the Boys' Dormitory.

Just as he reached the landing, he spoke to Sakura over his shoulder, "I understand, Sakura."

And then he disappeared up the stairs.

_He does? _

* * *

Harry tried to ignore the jeers and glares thrown his way as he made his way to Potions class. He had caught sight of Ron with Dean and Seamus earlier on. He hadn't been part of the jeer fest, nor did he make any signs of noticing him. 

_'Forget it. I'm not chasing around after him to make him grow up.'_

Harry quickly climbed down the stairs towards the dungeons, almost flying down the flight of stairs. He rounded the corner and nearly ran into the other Hogwarts Champion.

"Oh. Sakura. Hey," said Harry, sounding slightly alarmed. Sakura shot him a small smile. Behind her, Naruto waved elatedly and Sasuke simply nod his head in his direction.

The group of four then marched towards the classroom, and quickly took their seats; Sasuke and Sakura next to Naruto and Harry.

Potions class seemed drag longer than normal as Snape rambled on and on about some random potion and its uses which the ninjas and Harry weren't paying attention to. Naruto was flicking small paper balls at Sasuke, miraculously going unnoticed by Snape. Sasuke was glowering at Naruto while playing HangMan on Sakura's worksheet. Harry tried not to be distracted by the paper balls zooming in and out of his vision. Sakura was so bored that she started stabbing the desk with a shuriken, which, somehow, Snape also didn't notice.

The overwhelming boredom was broken when a knock on the dungeon door echoed throughout the room.

It was Colin Creevey. He edged into the room, beaming at both Harry and Sakura; Sakura suddenly would rather suffer another day and a half of pure boredom then hear what was coming next. Colin walked up to Snape's desk at the front of the room.

"Yes?" said Snape curtly.

"Please, sir, I'm supposed to take Harry Potter and Haruno Sakura upstairs."

Snape stared down his hooked nose at the small boy, whose smile faded from his eager face.

"Potter and Haruno have another hour of Potions to complete," replied Snape coldly. "They will come upstairs when this class is finished."

Colin went pink, and Sakura suddenly had the urge to pummel Snape to the ground.

"Sir – sir, Mr Bagman wants them," he said nervously. "All the champions have got to go, I think they want photographs…"

And then again, Sakura would have given anything to stop Colin saying those few words. She glanced at Harry, who looked like he was thinking the same thing, face slightly pink.

"Very well, very well," Snape snapped. "Potter, Haruno, leave your things here, I want you back down here later to test your antidote."

_Antidote? What antidote? _

"Please, sir – they've got to take their things with them," squeaked Colin. "All the champions - "

"Very well!" said Snape, incensed. "Potter, Haruno! Take your bags and get out of my sight!"

Sasuke gave Sakura a reassuring pat on the thigh as she stood up. Both she and Harry swung their bags over their shoulders and headed for the door.

"It's amazing, isn't it, Harry, Sakura?" said Colin, starting to speak the moment Harry had closed the dungeon door behind them. "Isn't it though? You both being champions?"

"Yeah, really amazing," said Harry heavily, and he exchanged looks with Sakura. She sighed and narrowed her eyes as she stared straight ahead.

This was _not_ going to be pretty.

* * *

"Mr Potter, your wand, if you please…?" said Mr Ollivander. Harry got to his feet and walked past Krum to Mr Ollivander. He handed over his wand. 

"Aaaaah, yes," he said, pales eyes suddenly gleaming. "Yes, yes, yes. How well I remember…"

"Eleven inches… holly… a single feather from the tail of a phoenix…"

He spent quite some time examining his wand from the previous two, but eventually made a fountain of wine shoot out of it, and handed it back to Harry, announcing that it was still in perfect condition.

"Miss Haruno…?"

* * *

Naruto sighed contently when his back hit the soft mattress of his four-poster. He rolled over to his stomach and looked at Neji, who was brushing his hair, again. 

"Ne, Neji, where's Sasuke-teme?" questioned the blonde kitsune. Neji shrugged.

Right at that moment, the dormitory door opened, to reveal a collected-looking Sasuke.

When he spoke, however, anxiety leaked from his voice. Neji and Naruto couldn't really blame him, though.

"The first task is tomorrow."

* * *

"Okay. Okay. I'm cool. Damn it. I can do this. _Hell yeah_. Totally can do this," chanted the pink-haired medic-nin anxiously, pacing back and forth in the tent. Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour were on the other side of the tent, while Harry was nowhere to be seen. 

The flap of the tent whipped open and emerged a panting Harry.

"Harry - !" exclaimed Sakura, running over to his side.

"D-dragons! The first task is dragons!" rasped Harry, bending over. He said it in a way that only Sakura could hear.

"_Dragons_? Well, that's a piece of cake - " began Sakura, before Inner Sakura interrupted her.

_'Ignoring the fact that you can't use your ninja abilities…?' _

Oh. Crap. She forgot about that.

"D-_dragons_?! Oh, shit! Ugh! Come here, Harry!"

Sakura's hands glowed green, and she placed it over Harry's erratically beating heart. The effect was almost instantaneous; Harry suddenly felt his energy replenished, and his breathing rate back to a healthy pace.

"Sakura-chan!" someone called out from the other side of the wall of the tent. "Sakura-chan!"

Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Naruto? What're you doing here?" Sakura whispered into the wall.

"I don't know. To get my butt kicked by the dragons, I guess," said Naruto nonchalantly. There was a low growl and Naruto quickly launched into his speech. "I came here to say good luck 'cause really those dragons are huge I mean they could possibly cook my ramen in under a minu – OW! Dang it, bastard; that _hurt_!!"

By the tone of his voice, Sakura did _not_ want to find out where he was hit.

"Whatever. Sakura?" said another voice; a deeper one.

"Sasuke?"

"Good luck."

Tears sprang to her eyes. Her fingers brushed against an opening in the tent wall, and without hesitation, ripped it open and lunged herself at her team mates, embracing them in a group hug.

"Thank you," she whispered into the hug. Naruto grinned broadly and hugged her back. Sasuke awkwardly patted her back.

When she finally released them, Harry called for Sakura from inside the tent.

"Sakura! Bagman's here!" he whispered urgently. Sakura looked back at her team mates.

"I guess we should get going. Kick some dragon ass, Sakura-chan," said Naruto, winking before running off.

It was only Sasuke and Sakura left. _Alone_.

"So... Yeah… Uh… I-I need to go," stuttered Sakura, making wild hand motions towards the tent. The close proximity between them was freaking her out. And Sasuke smelling damn good didn't help.

"Sakura!" called Harry again.

"See you later, Sasuke," Sakura said, turning around.

"Sakura."

"Huh?"

That look on Sasuke's face was beginning to disturb her.

"Stay safe, okay?"

And then he leaned down, and kissed her cheek.

…

…

_'Oh… my god…' _

_Sasuke. _

_Kissed. _

_Me. _

_On. _

_The. _

_Cheek. _

_Me. _

_Sasuke. _

_A kiss. _

_On the cheek. _

_A kiss. _

_By Uchiha Sasuke. _

_A kiss on the cheek by Uchiha Sasuke._

Right then, as Sakura stared at the trail of leaves in Sasuke's wake, stunned, she knew, that nothing was impossible.

Everything felt right. Felt perfect.

Everything's going to be okay, just like Neji said.

-

Watch out.

Haruno Sakura's out to kick some dragon butt.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Once again... I apologise for the lack of plot and fluff and crap... 

I found the ...er... last scene the most interesting scene I've done in this chapter... Duh...

Well... review if you wanna. :)

Till next chapter!


	13. The First Task:Chakra with Magic

**Author's Note:** Yo. Crap, I'm posting so often that it scares me. -.-

Damn the fuzzy plot balls... again.

I hope the action scenes in this chapter are okay. I really have no idea how to write action scenes.

Anyways...Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!! XD

* * *

Come on everybody stand up  
Agero kyou ichiban no jikan da  
Me ni mo tomoran no speed wo handa  
Dare mo nobinattori ko kanba yeah 

Come on everybody hands up  
Mata ashita no heroes wa comeback  
Tsuujou kazoe hibi wo countdown  
Let's go, 3-2-1 make some noise!!

* * *

The roar of the crowd broke the wintery air like glass as Sakura was called out. Whether it was a roar of approval or otherwise, the kunoichi could care less. All she needed to do right then was to focus on the task at hand; defeating the dragon _without_ blowing her cover. 

She walked forwards, through the gap of the enclosure fence and some trees, and into the stadium where she would meet the dragon.

Panic rised into a crescendo inside her.

Sakura dimly noted that Harry had just been ushered by a medic to the First-Aid tent, just as the Hungarian Horntail let out a terrifying roar, swinging its heavily spiked and huge tail.

Of all dragons, she just _had_ to get the Hungarian Horntail. How ironic.

Sakura pulled her leather gloves securely around her hand, at the same time thinking of a way on how to fight the roaring creature ahead of her. Clutching her wand tightly in one hand, she walked forwards.

The audience were perplexed. _Why was she just walking straight at the dragon?_

"There she is, ladies and gentlemen, Miss Sakura Haruno!" Bagman said, voice magically magnified. "What on earth is she doing, walking straight at the dragon like that?"

_'Oi! What the heck are you doing?! Are you trying to get us killed?!'_ yelled Inner Sakura frantically. Sakura sighed irritably.

_Wait! Neji said that magic is just another form of chakra, right? That means- _

A giant spiked tail came crashing down on her. Sakura leapt to the side in a nick of time, one of the spikes grazing her battle robes. Landing on a gloved hand, she sprang backwards onto her feet to avoid getting stabbed by another giant barb.

"That was a close one!!" shouted Mr Bagman, sounding daunted.

The crowd whistled and clapped. Somewhere in the audience, three anxious ninjas let out a small sigh of relief.

_That means that chakra could be used to enhance the power of a magic spell! _

'_Hell yeah, damn it! Now we're getting somewhere!'_ cheered Inner Sakura.

_'Yeah. No thanks to you.' _

Sakura rolled to the side to evade another enormous spiked tail, before having to immediately hurdle back, barely escaping a jet of fire blown from the mouth of the dragon.

_That's it!_

Manipulating chakra to her hands, she back-flipped away from the Hungarian Horntail before its dangerous tail crashed down onto the spot she had been a mere few seconds ago.

Some people gasped.

"_Relashio!!_"

A hot red streak erupted from the tip of her wand, and it hit the dragon on one of its hard scales. And then the dragon recoiled. It actually _recoiled_. It roared and thrashed around, spiked tail swinging wildly.

The Gryffindors in the audience went berserk; screaming and stomping their support. Naruto was jumping up and down, pumping his fists in the air. Neji was scanning the crowd with his Byakugan. Sasuke could care less about the mission at that moment; Sakura's life was at stake.

_It worked! But – _

"Crap! The eggs! _PROTEGO_!"

An enormous shimmering and almost transparent force field expanded between the mass of huge dragon eggs and the Hungarian Horntail. Sakura winced when the entire tail of the mighty dragon crashed down upon the protective barrier she had cast.

Besides getting past the dragon and getting the Golden Egg, she wasn't supposed to destroy any of the other real eggs placed around the one she was to retrieve.

The crowd 'wow'-ed and applauded and screamed their astonishment. Sasuke smirked while Naruto and Neji whistled loudly.

"Will you look at that?! A Protective Charm to protect the eggs!" yelled Lugo Bagman, sounding impressed and astounded at the same time.

The dragon roared again, and this time it took a deep breath. Sakura could tell because its head went backwards slightly, as though gathering something in its mouth. It tossed its head forward and opened its gigantic mouth, which could possibly eat her up like a piece of candy, and a big jet of fire exploded from its mouth.

Sakura could only stare in horror as the fiery jet sailed through the air directly at her. She stood rooted to the ground while watching the raging flames reach out for her.

A number of girls from the crowd shrieked in terror and covered their faces. The entire audience seemed to stop breathing altogether.

It wasn't fear which was making her freeze in front of the inferno. It was just… _something…_

"SAKURA!! MOVE!!"

That voice from the crowd broke into her thoughts like a dagger piercing through a heart. _That voice…_

Sakura hastily raised her wand at the last second.

_Sasuke… _

"_Aguamenti_!!"

The sheer force of the strong jet of water which erupted from the end of her wand nearly swept her off her feet, so she dug her feet into the ground and focused chakra to the soles of her feet. At the same time, she manipulated chakra to her hands, and to the wand, causing the spell to be much stronger than it was originally supposed to be.

Narrowing her eyes to protect it from the spray of water, she clutched her wand with both hands as the water literally sliced through the stream of fire and hit the enraged Hungarian Horntail smack in the face.

Almost instantaneously, the stadium seemed to have started breathing again, exhaling in perfect unison. Cheers and shouts exploded from the Gryffindor end.

The Horntail reared on its hind legs for a moment, before it fell back on all fours, angrier than ever. It let out a terrifying roar, and breathed in deeply.

The audience shrank back in their seats.

_'That's it! Do that Aguamenti spell again!' _yelled Inner Sakura.

_'Why…?' _

_'All it takes is perfect timing. You…' _

* * *

_Run! Come on! Run faster, damn it! _

"I-it's too f-fast for us," rasped Sakura through ragged breaths. She was bent over, hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath.

It's been three minutes. Three freaking _long_ minutes of evading the freaking dragon.

_'Aw damn, MOVE!!!'_ screeched Inner Sakura. Sakura clumsily leapt out of the way of the stream of fire. So far, she hadn't gotten any injuries, except a slightly torn battle robes and dirty clothes and skin.

"I need something faster…"

_"Aw, what's wrong, little Sakura? Too slow to catch up with me?" mocked Sasuke, a few meters ahead of her, sitting on his hovering Firebolt quite comfortably. _

_Sakura growled. _

_"Shut it, Sas-gay!" she bellowed, and sped towards him, pumping her chakra into the broom. _

_Sasuke cursed, and sped off into the night, Sakura trailing not for behind._

"A broom!" exclaimed Sakura suddenly. Her happy moment was short-lived as the Horntail blasted a giant ball of fire her way. She leapt out of the path of the fire, before finding a spot among the huge rocks which could protect her from the deadly fire of the dragon.

_'A broom? Use the Summoning Charm, and quick!!'_ said Inner Sakura anxiously.

"_Accio_ _Firebolt!!_"

She waited, and waited, and prayed with every fibre of her being that the broom would come. She had never really tried out the Summoning Charm before. There was silence, broken by her short and fast breaths. And then – there it was! Whizzing through the air…

The crowd screamed with a newfound excitement. Naruto and Neji exchanged looks, before looking at Sasuke, who was smirking.

"You don't happen to have anything to do with this… do you… Uchiha?" questioned Neji hesitantly.

"Hn," was the stoic boy's reply. He was still smirking. Naruto shrugged.

_'Alright! Remember the plan…' _said Inner Sakura.

_'Hai! Let's get this over and done with!' _

As the Firebolt zoomed nearer to her, Sakura jumped out from behind the boulder she was taking refuge from, and settled herself on the broom without missing a beat. Then she whooshed right past the dragon's deadly tail.

"_Stupefy!_"

A jet of light from the tip of her wand hit the Dragon in between its eyes, and it roared.

"Merlin's beard! What does this girl think she's doing? It takes about a dozen of Stunning spells to harm a dragon! It seems as though she's just angered the Hungarian Horntail even more!!" yelled Bagman, sounding elated. Weirdo.

_'That's exactly my point, Mr Bagman,_' Sakura thought.

The dragon inclined his head towards her as she hovered in mid-air, almost right in front of its face. Wand ready, Sakura waited for the correct time.

_'Come on… Any time now…' _

And then it happened. The dragon inhaled deeply and exhaled with a deafening roar. A great ball of fire was blasted out of its mouth.

Time seemed to move in slow motion as Sakura raised her wand higher and the giant fireball drew nearer.

_"AGUAMENTI!!!" _

This time, Sakura really did fly backwards. She flew back from the force of the jet of water, and collided with the hard earth. The moment her body hit the earth, she grabbed the Firebolt which had flown out of her grasp, swung her leg over it, and kicked off.

All that under five seconds.

The Horntail had reared on its hind legs again, this time staying like that slightly longer. That spell seemed to have hurt it a lot.

Sakura flew around the dragon in a perfect loop to gain momentum, propelled by her chakra, before diving between its hind legs. She spotted something shimmering among the other dull dragon eggs.

The Golden Egg!

Sakura swerved to the left and dived to get the round and gold object. Wrapping her slender fingers around the egg, she sped off, almost lying flat on the handle of the broom at the breakneck speed she was going.

Sakura zoomed into the open air, egg clutched securely with a trembling hand.

"And she's got the Golden Egg! Sakura Haruno completes the first task!" bellowed Bagman over the thunderous applause of the audience, whistling, clapping, stomping, screaming and such.

Sakura slowly landed the Firebolt and got off, glad that it was all over.

" – The quickest to get her egg! Well, this is going to shorten the odds, Miss Haruno!" Bagman was yelling, half of his sentence cut off due to the roaring applause of the spectators.

Sakura saw the dragon-keepers rushing forwards to subdue the Horntail, and, over at the entrance of the enclosure Sakura had been in earlier before, Professor McGonagall, Professor Moody and Hagrid hurried to see her, their smiles evident even from that distance.

The noise of the crowd pounding in her eardrums, her heart felt lighter than it had been in weeks.

She'd gotten through the first task… _The first task was finally over…_

"That was excellent, Haruno!" cried Professor McGonagall, which was an extravagant praise, coming from her. Sakura noticed that her hand shook as she pointed at the First-Aid tent.

"You'll need to see Madam Pomfrey before the judges give out your score… over there, she's had to mop up Potter's shoulder already…"

"Yeh did it, Sak'ra!" said Hagrid hoarsely. "Yeh did it! An' agains' the Horntail an' all…"

"Thanks, Hagrid," said Sakura tiredly, but sincerely.

Professor Moody looked very pleased, too; his magical eye was dancing in its socket. But there was something strange about his expression. There was something there… which wasn't supposed to exactly be there…

"Nice and easy does the trick, Haruno, but yours works too. More action," he growled.

"Right then, Haruno, the First-Aid tent, please…" said Professor McGonagall.

Sakura walked out of the enclosure, feeling very tired and worn-out, and saw Madam Pomfrey standing at the mouth of a second tent, looking worried.

"It's ok. I don't have any injuries. I can heal myself," said Sakura softly, eyes pleading with the woman to leave her alone. Madam Pomfrey studied her for a few moments, before nodding and bustling out of the tent.

Sakura sighed and sat down on a plastic chair next to the wall. She started healing any wounds she might have gotten.

She looked up when she felt someone approach her. It was Harry.

"Hey," he said, slumping down onto the chair next to Sakura. She noticed that his clothes were torn on his shoulder, and that the skin there looked newly healed.

"You got hurt?" Sakura asked, concerned.

"It was just a scratch…"

"Right…"

"I saw what you did with the dragon. It was bloody awesome," complimented Harry truthfully. Sakura blushed slightly.

"Thanks. Sorry, I didn't see what you did. I was really nervous," said Sakura, grinning sheepishly.

"It's ok. I know what you mean," Harry replied, shrugging and smiling back at her.

They remained like that; smiling at each other, until a loud outburst of –

"Sakura-chan!!"

And -

"Harry!!"

Naruto, Ron and Hermione had just burst out from the entrance of the tent. Naruto rushed forward and tackled Sakura, who had just stood up, onto the ground in a huge bear hug.

"Naruto! –gasp- I missed you too –gasp- while trying not to get –gasp- my butt fried by the –gasp- Horntail –gasp- !" exclaimed Sakura, trying to pry Naruto off her for much needed air.

"Sakura-chaaaaannnn!!! You were amazing!!" yelled Naruto loudly once he got off her, grinning so broadly that Sakura was starting to wonder if it was actually humanly possible to grin that big.

Then, two more people walked through the entrance of the tent; Sasuke and Neji.

"Neji! …. Sasuke!" greeted Sakura, looking at each of them respectively. She blushed furiously when her eyes met Sasuke's. The corner of the Uchiha's lips twitched upwards slightly.

"Damn, Sakura. That was one hell of a show. How'd you do that thing with the water spell?" said Neji.

"_Chakra control_, Captain," said Sakura cheerily, speaking in Japanese for the first part of her answer.

Neji spared Naruto a triumph glance. Sakura looked at all of them, and realized that all three of them looked slightly anxious.

"Hey, Sakura!" said Ron. He didn't look at her in the eye.

"Yes, Ron?"

"I… uh… I… I just wanted to say that I'm… uh… sorry…" he trailed off.

"Sorry? I didn't catch that last bit," Sakura teased.

"I said I was sorry!!" he repeated, a little too loudly. His face turned red and he looked down again. Sakura giggled, and nodded, accepting his apology.

The ninjas noticed that Ron was talking to Harry again, and seemed like the best of pals. Ron really did look guilty of ever not believing in Harry in the first place.

"Hey, I'm going to go out and look at my score. See you guys later," Harry said as he and Ron walked out of the tent.

"So… How'd you guys think I fare?" asked Sakura. Naruto gave her a two thumbs-up and Neji nodded, impressed. She looked at Sasuke hopefully.

"Amazing, Haruno," said Sasuke, gazing at Sakura with such intensity in his onyx eyes that it took all of Sakura's willpower not to do a Hinata and faint.

"Absolutely amazing."

* * *

"It's marks out of ten from each one," Neji said, and Sakura, squinting up the field, saw the first judge – Madame Maxime – raised her wand in the air. What looked like long, silver ribbon shot out of it, which twisted itself into a large figure eight. 

"Not bad," said Sasuke, not bothering to clap along with the rest of the school. His hands were shoved into his pants pocket and he tried to look disdainful.

Sakura didn't care. The moment before the first task between them had been more than enough for her.

Mr Crouch came next. He shot a number nine into the air.

"Looking good!" exclaimed Naruto, nudging Sakura on the arm.

Next, Dumbledore. He, too, put up a nine. The crowd was cheering harder than ever.

Ludo Bagman – _ten_.

"T-ten?" stammered Sakura in disbelief. Naruto slung his arm around her neck while shouting, "_Dattebayo!!_".

And now Karkaroff raised his wand. He paused for a moment, and then a number shot out of his wand – five.

"_Whaaaaattt?_" screeched Naruto. "_Five?!_ You lousy biased - !" and Neji hit him on the side of the head.

As Naruto continue complaining about the scores and the Hyuuga prodigy busy trying to calm the excited blonde down, Sasuke turned to Sakura.

"Sakura." Sakura was seriously starting to like the way her name rolled off his tongue.

"Sasuke?"

"Don't ever stand still in front of a giant fireball which is about to fry your ass, got it?"

Sakura's eyes widened, before she smiled and giggled.

"What?"

"Nothing, Sasuke. You're just so cute."

... That did _not_ just come out of her mouth.

Sasuke stared at her for a while, looking slightly startled. Then he smiled.

He freaking _smiled_.

As in, _smiled_.

_Not _smirk.

_Smile_.

_Uchiha Sasuke smiling_.

_Someone pass me the camera!! _

"Yeah. You, too, Sakura."

And _that_, was like another kiss to the cheek by Uchiha Sasuke.

* * *

-Blooper- 

_Run! Come on! Run faster, damn it! _

"I-it's too f-fast for us," rasped Sakura through ragged breaths. She was bent over, hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath.

It's been three minutes. Three freaking _long_ minutes of evading the freaking dragon.

_'Aw damn, MOVE!!!'_ screeched Inner Sakura. Sakura clumsily leapt out of the way of the stream of fire. So far, she hadn't gotten any injuries, except a slightly torn battle robes and dirty clothes and skin.

She scraped her knee rather badly as she landed on it. A vein twitched violently at her temple.

"GAH!! SCREW THIS THING!!!"

Then -

BLAM!!!

The Hungarian Horntail went sailing into the air... to someplace far... _far_... away...

* * *

**Author's Note:** Okay. I kinda liked the ending (of the real chapter), as weird as it is. The -Blooper- thing was really just extra. I imagined Sakura getting pissed 'cause it was taking so long to take down the dragon. Ha ha ha. 

But the first task was described stupidly.

Please tell me how I can improve my...er... anything at all in your reviews! I would really like it if you guys tell me a fic which has good action scenes I can use as a guide for my future chapters. Just copy and paste the link in your review or something... (Honestly speaking, I was half asleep while typing the first half of this paragraph.)

However, I think I like this chapter best, among the rest (Heeeyyyy it rhymes!). -shrug-

Well, till next chap! (:


	14. Dance Partners:Christmas Day

**Author's Note:** -sigh-Yo. This chapter is so plain crappy, it's not even funny anymore.

And I'm really sorry for the long wait... I've been disgustingly sleepy recently.

Well... uh...

Enjoy:)

* * *

Come on everybody stand up  
Agero kyou ichiban no jikan da  
Me ni mo tomoran no speed wo handa  
Dare mo nobinattori ko kanba yeah 

Come on everybody hands up  
Mata ashita no heroes wa comeback  
Tsuujou kazoe hibi wo countdown  
Let's go, 3-2-1 make some noise!!

* * *

The start of December brought wind and sleet to Hogwarts. Draughty though the castle was in winter, the shinobi were glad of its fires and thick walls every time they passed the Durmstrang ship on the lake, which was pitching in the high winds, its black sails billowing against the dark skies. 

Naruto rubbed his hands together and suppressed a shiver when a cold breeze blew over the entire class. A collected shiver swept them. Even Sasuke was shivering slightly, mist forming in front of his face whenever he exhaled.

"I'm not sure whether they hibernate or not," Hagrid told the shivering class in the windy pumpkin patch. "Thought we'd jus' try an' see if they fancied a kip… We'll jus' settle 'em down in these boxes…"

There were now only ten Skrewts left; apparently killing each other was a hobby. Each of them were either approaching or more than six feet in length. Their thick grey armor, their powerful, scuttling legs, their fire-blasting ends, their stings and their suckers, combined to make the Skrewts the 'perfect item to place in Naruto's ramen to stop him from eating them', as quoted from Sasuke.

The class looked dispiritedly at the enormous boxes Hagrid had brought out, all lined with pillows and fluffy blankets.

"We'll jus' lead 'em here," said Hagrid. "An' put the lids on, and we'll see what happens."

Harry, Hermione, Ron, Sasuke, Sakura, Neji and Naruto exchanged looks.

Neji sighed.

* * *

"Don' frighten him, now!" yelled Hagrid, as Harry and Ron used their wands to shoot fiery jets of sparks at the Skrewt which was advancing menacingly on them, its sting arched, quivering, over its back. 

There were only three Skrewts left, after the shinobi manage to send four sprawling on the snow, and the wizards managed to tie the other three up. The only ones fending off the Skrewts were the ninjas, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dean and Seamus. The rest of the class were taking refuge in Hagrid's cabin, the Slytherin's noses pressed against the window to watch what was happening.

With a grunt of effort, Dean and Seamus managed to capture a Skrewt. Sasuke and Sakura were trying to fend off a particularly large Skrewt, bigger then the both of them put together. Neji and Naruto, on the other hand, were busy helping Harry and Ron to capture their Skrewt, which was advancing towards them rather threateningly.

There was a yelp from Sakura as Sasuke shoved her aside. Not a moment too soon, the huge Skrewt landed on Sasuke, who tried not to look revolted.

"Sasuke!" squeaked Sakura as she scrambled to her feet, wand held tightly even though she was shivering uncontrollably due to the cold. There was a sound of annoyance beneath the Skrewt.

"Oh, don't mind me. Just leave me here under this thing. At least it's not freezing cold," grumbled Sasuke. Sakura heard the sound of smothered laughter somewhere behind her. She spared a glance behind, and saw Naruto and Ron trying to stifle their laugh by busying themselves with trying to hold the Skrewt still.

Sakura turn back. Then she, too, tried not to burst into a fit of giggles.

Underneath the large Skrewt, only Sasuke's head was poking out, the rest of his body hidden beneath the creature. Sasuke turned his head to regard her, looking irritated.

"Are you going to help me get this thing off me or what? As comfortable as this may look, it's not," Sasuke grounded out through gritted teeth, attempting to physically push the Skrewt off him.

"Okay, okay. Jeez. Don't be such a jerk," said Sakura. Sasuke grimaced in her direction, and threw his head back onto the snow in annoyance. She pulled the winter gloves tighter around her hands, and raised her wand.

"_Incar - !_"

"Well, well, well… This does look like fun."

A bespectacled woman with elaborate curls was leaning on Hagrid's garden fence, looking at the mayhem. She wore a thick magenta cloak with a furry purple collar, and her crocodile-skin handbag was over her arm.

Everyone halted whatever they were doing and turned to look at the newcomer. Sasuke lifted his head to look at the woman.

The scene looked quite ridiculous at that point of time; Sakura with her wand and arms raised, mouth half opened as she was halfway through her spell, Sasuke flattened by a large Skrewt, Naruto holding a Skrewt still in a tight headlock and Ron flattening the same Skrewt as Neji and Harry each held a piece of rope, tying them tightly around the Skrewt, a foot braced against it, and Hermione, Dean and Seamus frozen in mid-step, about to help Sakura and Sasuke before Rita Skeeter came.

"_ – cerous!_"

There was a loud whoosh, and a large number of ropes erupted from the end of Sakura's wand, wrapping itself around the giant Skrewt as they collided. The impact of the ropes at sent the Skrewt flying off Sasuke, who let out his breath which he didn't know he was holding.

"Who're you?" asked Hagrid, pushing the captured Skrewts into a crate.

"Rite Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter," Rita replied, beaming at him. Her gold teeth glinted.

"I thought Dumbledore said you weren' allowed inside the school anymore?" said Hagrid, frowning slightly as he tugged at a Skrewt's rope.

Rita pretended not to hear him.

She looked around and saw Harry and Sakura. Her eyes brightened and gleamed.

Sakura deliberately ignored her and started to help Sasuke up, holding out a hand for him to take. The prodigy took her hand and pulled himself up, muttering a small 'thanks'. Harry had turned away from Rita and tried to keep himself busy by helping Hagrid with the Skrewts.

Rita Skeeter's eyes drifted from Harry to Sakura, and then to Sasuke. Her expression brightened a bit more.

"And who is this dashing young man?" she inquired, fluttering her eyelashes at Sasuke, who looked perplexed, before his expression changed drastically. He looked positively appalled.

"Excuse me," said Sasuke, closing his eyes and looking away indignantly. "While I find a ditch to throw my guts in."

Holy crap.

Ron, Harry, Neji and Naruto choked on their spit, while Sakura, Hermione, Dean and Seamus gaped at him.

Rita Skeeter's expression darkened until she looked like lava might erupt from her head. Her body shook as she raised her pointer finger at him and opening her mouth to say something.

Then the bell rang up at the castle, signaling the end of the lesson.

Sasuke was the first to leave, nodding his head at Hagrid as he passed. Sakura soon follow him, still in shock, Naruto laughing his guts off as he trailed behind her, with Neji chuckling next to him.

Rita Skeeter growled, then stormed off.

* * *

The next few weeks went by with nothing interesting happening. Kakashi still hadn't replied to their letter, and no news on Konoha has reached either Sasuke or Sakura. Neji and Naruto still didn't know that a raging war was going on in their home village. 

On the day before the holidays began, Professor McGonagall has announced to the class that a Yule Ball was to be held on Christmas.

"The Yule Ball is approaching – a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth-years and above, although you may invite a younger student if you wish. Dress robes will be worn," Professor McGonagall said. "And the ball will begin at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight, in the Great Hall."

After that she had added on about their behavior remaining appropriate.

The bell rang, and there was the usual scuffle of activity as everyone packed their bags and swung them onto their shoulders.

Professor called above the noise, "Potter, Haruno. A word, if you please."

Looking at each other with confusion written across their faces, Sakura and Harry proceeded to the teacher's desk.

Once the last person left the class, she turned to them, and said, "Potter, Haruno, the champions and their partners - "

"What partners?" said Harry and Sakura in unison. Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow at them.

"Your partners for the Yule Ball, your _dance partners_."

Sakura paled and Harry felt something in him curl up and shrivel.

"I don't dance," Harry said quickly, turning red.

"Oh, yes you do," said Professor McGonagall irritably.

"I'm not dancing."

"Neither am I," agreed Sakura hastily.

"It is traditional. You are both Hogwarts champions, and you will do what is expected of you as a representative of the school. So make sure you get yourselves a partner, both of you."

"But - "

"You must dance. It's _tradition_."

"But I don't - "

"You heard me, Potter, Haruno."

* * *

"This _can't_ be happening to me," Sakura muttered to herself, burying her face in her hands. No one else was in the common room; they were out, enjoying the winter. 

"What can't be happening to you, Sakura-chan?"

She felt a shift in the couch as a weight rested on it next to her. Naruto slung an arm across the back of the couch as Sasuke and Neji took a seat on separate armchairs next to them.

"I'm supposed to find a dance partner for the ball. The champions have to open the Yule Ball. It's compulsory and traditional," grumbled Sakura, answer muffled by her hands.

"Tsk. I sympathize you," said Neji. Sakura looked up.

"I hate you, Hyuuga," growled Sakura, before burying her face in her hands again.

Neji chuckled.

* * *

The next few weeks swept by rather quickly. Harry and Sakura still hadn't gotten a partner for the ball, and were beginning to panic. 

Sure, a few - okay fine - a _good_ number of boys had asked Sakura, but she had turned them down either in shock, or without thinking.

Panic continued to gnaw in her until the day before the Yule Ball itself, where she witnessed Harry getting a partner, Parvati. Even Ron had gotten a partner.

She had stood there for a full minute before the truth crashed upon her like a ton of bricks.

_She was the only champion left without a partner._

With that thought in mind, she bolted back into the castle, slipping and sliding on the melted snow on the Entrance of the castle.

_My last chance..._

* * *

_C'mon, c'mon!! Where the hell are you when I need you?!_

Emerald eyes searched the packed common room frantically. Her expression lifted when she spotted her target building a castle made out of the Exploding Snap cards with Harry and Ron.

"_Kyaa!! Sasuke!!!_" she exclaimed in relief, and ran past shocked Gryffindors, leapt over the couch, and tackled Sasuke around the chest.

"What the –_oof!_"

The card he was holding flew out of his grasp as he fell backwards. They fell onto the floor with a loud thud. At least Sasuke had been sitting down.

"Sasuke! Oh god, Sasuke, you're here! Oh thank god you're here! I really, really, really need you right now!! It's urgent and I really have no more choices and tomorrow's the ball and all the other champions already have partners and Neji's already going with that Cho girl and Naruto's going with Ron's sister Ginny and – mph!!"

"Sakura… Take a deep breath… and exhale…"

Sakura obliged.

"Okay, now tell me what's wrong."

"Will you… will you go to the Yule Ball with me?"

Sakura suddenly became aware of their position; she was practically lying on top of him, her short pink locks cascading around her face and lightly brushing Sasuke's face.

And the fact that the entire common room were staring at them.

"Bloody hell," muttered Ron, his eyes wide. Next to him, Harry was halfway to putting the last card at the top.

"Alright, Alright… Let's give them some privacy, people!!" yelled Fred Weasley, urging the Gryffindors to return to what they were doing. There was an outbreak of giggles and snickers from their housemates.

Once they did, Sakura returned her attention to the teen beneath her, only to find him looking at her with and unreadable expression on his features.

She felt her cheeks burning.

Then he smiled.

_Again_ with that uber hot smile!!

"I'd love to."

* * *

Sakura woke up with a jolt. Ripping the hangings around her bed apart, she realized that everyone else were still asleep and it was still dark outside. Then, she noticed the pile of presents at the foot of her bed. 

She clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle her squeal of delight.

_'Presents!!'_

* * *

Sasuke, Neji and Naruto woke up to the sound of someone screaming. 

It was Harry.

Hurriedly ripping the hangings around their beds apart, they grabbed a kunai from under their pillow and whipped around to face the intruder.

Only to find no one around.

"Harry! Harry!!"

Ron had gotten off his bed and was attempting to shake his best friend awake. Harry's eyes snapped open and he bolted upright, panting heavily.

"Someone attacking you, Harry?" asked Dean sleepily.

"N-no. It's nothing. Go back to sleep…"

"Nah. Presents!!"

The ninjas raised an eyebrow at each other, before noticing the pile of gifts on the foot of their beds. Naruto squealed in happiness, before pouncing on his share of presents.

Neji, being calmer and more collected than him, strode back towards his bed and sat on it. He reached out for a random gift, placed it on his lap, and stared at it for a moment. Sasuke had a sudden urge to smack his head and tell him to open it already. Finally, Neji lifted a hand, placed it over the present, which was about the size of his palm, and ripped the glittery blue wrapping cleanly off. It revealed to be a small book regarding magic, from Hermione. Sasuke saw Neji's lips twitch upward slightly.

He diverted his attention to his pile of presents.

_'Now, where should I start?'_

* * *

Sakura giggled silently as she looked at all the gifts she had opened so far. There were even gifts from her friends in Konoha. 

Harry had given her a nice woolen scarf (its colour went well with her skin and hair), Ron a box of sweets (Sakura had to stop herself from devouring the whole thing at once), Hermione a diary with pretty cheery blossom decorations at the cover (Sakura could barely control her squeal), Ino a really cute light pink sleeveless hoodie, Hinata a cute shirt which had the words '_watcha lookin' at?_' written across the chest, Tenten a variety of rarely used but extremely effective weapons (Sakura quickly hid them away), Lee a giant heart-shaped box of chocolates (Sakura smiled), Shikamaru a pair of fingerless leather gloves for light training or fighting, or casual wear, Choujie a recipe book (Sakura had stared at it for a good minute before realizing she couldn't cook to save her life), Kiba a soft dog plushie the size of her pillow (Sakura had to stop herself from squeezing it half to dead), Kakashi a framed, recently reunited picture of Team 7 (Sakura burst out crying) and a huge variety of sweets and Tsunade and Shizune had also given her a picture, but of the entire Rookie 9 and Team Gai, taken as a candid shot during the latest Konoha Spring Festival.

Sakura gently placed framed pictures on her bedside table.

Squealing silently once again, Sakura grabbed her new hoodie, shirt and gloves and started to get dressed.

* * *

"Are you done yet? Jeez, you take as long as a girl to get dressed…" said Sasuke, resting his arms on his knees as he watched Naruto jump around, dressed in his usual orange and black jacket which was unzipped, a black shirt Hinata had given him, and a pair of baggy black pants which had loads of pockets down the sides. It was more convenient for them to stash their weapons. 

"Itai, itai!!" yelped the blonde as he crashed into the bed post while trying to put on his shoes. Behind him, Neji smacked his forehead.

The Hyuuga prodigy had settled for a light brown jacket over a black shirt and a pair of black pants, similar to Naruto's.

The Uchiha prodigy had donned on a black jacket over a white shirt, and a pair of pants also similar to the other two ninjas.

"Hai!! I finally found it!!" he exclaimed, holding up a clumsily wrapped gift in triumph; Sakura's gift.

"Got everything ready already?" drawled Sasuke. He looked at Neji, who was already standing up, a hand in his pocket while the other held a neatly wrapped present.

"Yeah. Let's go downstairs."

* * *

"Merry Christmas, Sakura-chan!!!" greeted Naruto elatedly the moment Sakura reach them in the common room. She giggled. 

"Merry Christmas, Naruto!" She stuck out her tongue slightly as she took one of the three gifts from her arms and gave it to Naruto with a wide smile. Naruto squealed rather girlishly and took the gift, handing over her present.

"Arigato, Sakura-chan!!" squealed Naruto excitedly, wrapping his strong arms around her shoulders and planting an affectionate kiss on her forehead. Sakura giggled from her best friend's antics.

When Naruto moved away to settle on the couch and open his present, Neji stepped forward. Before Sakura could even greet him, he held out a carefully wrapped gift in front of her face. Sakura blinked in surprise. She looked up at him (he was over a head taller than her), and her face broke into a wide grin, showing him her even set of pearly white teeth.

She gave him one of the two presents left in her arms, saying a cheery, "Merry Christmas!!".

"Merry Christmas," he uttered with a small nod and a smile, before taking a seat next to Naruto, who was giggling non-stop and hugging the stuffed teddy bear which was holding a stuffed ramen bowl Sakura had given him.

Sakura turned back to regard Sasuke, only to bite back a yelp of surprise; Sasuke was only a foot away from her. Laughing nervously, she handed him the last gift in her hand.

"Merry Christmas, Sasuke," she said shyly, not meeting his eyes, a gentle smile gracing her features. When the prodigy didn't respond, Sakura blinked and looked up at him.

The intensity of his gaze was slightly unnerving. Then he blinked, and his eyes became emotionless once more.

"Um…" uttered Sakura, gift still held out, unsure what to do.

"Mistletoe," muttered Sasuke, his gaze flickering upward for a moment. Her emerald eyes lingered at Sasuke's angular face for a moment before she looked up.

She felt herself turning red.

Her breath hitched when the Sharingan wielder gingerly took a step closer to her, successfully invading her personal space. He took out a wrapped gift box the size of his palm, and placed it in her free hand; one of his hands holding up her smaller one, while the other pressed the gift onto her hands.

"S-sasu-k-ke…"

Much to her surprise, he started to lean down. And then he paused, his warm breath tickling her face lightly. Sakura gazed dazedly at him, too stunned to move.

_She never noticed how his onyx eyes were tinted with grey…_

She felt Naruto's and Neji's gifts in her arms slipping away. She faintly heard a small noise of protest from Naruto before Neji clamped a hand over his mouth, his pearl eyes staring intently at Sasuke and Sakura.

Sasuke's grey-tinted eyes softened ever so slightly as the corner of his lips curled upwards.

For a moment everything went still.

Then, he leaned over, gently tilted her chin up, and kissed her.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Damnit this chap is so.Freaking. Corny.-shudder- 

I know there were a lot of scene changes, and I couldn't help adding the thing with Sakura's presents. It was fun while it lasted. -.-

Anyways, I know the last part was stupid!!! ARGH!!!!!! Forgive me, oh might ones!!!! -sniffle-

I tried my darn hardest to make it ...er ... nice?

-sigh-Btw, I was half asleep throughout the entire chapter... I'm seriously worn out...

Well then... Till next chappie:)


	15. The Yule ball:Brightdown

**Author's Note:** Yo!! I don't believe this. I actually posted before the end of the month! Haha. Anyways, this chapter is kinda... weird. Well... it's kinda outta my league, but I tried.

The is the first chappie that features a bit of the war and stuff. There'll be more in the later chapters.

Well, hope you guys enjoy:))

* * *

YOU ARE MY FRIEND  
aa, ano hi yo yume, ima demo mada wasuretenain deshou?  
YOU ARE MY DREAM  
aa, hajimete bakka, kimi wa MY LONG LOST FRIEND  
whoa, ima tabidatsu yo!

THANK YOU MY FRIEND  
aa, ano hi no koto, ima demo mada oboeteru kara  
YOU ARE MY DREAM  
aa, mo kondo koso momoru MY WAY  
whoa, THE DISTANCE

* * *

Yuuhi Kurenai swore viciously under her breath. A slender, bandaged arm flashed through the air, and splinters flew. Kakashi glanced at her from his position on a higher branch. Gai made no sign of life, his expression distant and blank.

"That isn't going to help our current situation, Kurenai," said Kakashi softly, and he looked back up. His dark eye bore into the impending leaves that obscured the three Jounin from enemy shinobi. With his back propped up comfortably against the rough texture of the tree bark and an arm resting on a raised knee, he looked completely calm. Too calm, in fact.

"But _this_ - This is preposterous!" Kurenai whispered hoarsely, turning to look up at him. Her red eyes flared and her dark curls floated around her in the gentle breeze. Kakashi's gaze wavered for a moment.

"No," he replied. Once again, his voice was as soft as the leaves brushing Kurenai's cheeks. "No, it's not."

In a flash, the kunoichi was in front of the elite and grabbing him by a fistful of his Jounin vest. She brought his masked and impassive face nearer to her glowering one.

"What the hell does that mean?! The Hokage just sent every single ANBU and Jounin from Konoha to their deaths, if you haven't noticed! What if we _fail_?! What if we fucking fail to eliminate the Sound shinobi before they can enter the village?!" Kurenai was grabbing Kakashi's vest with both hands now, shaking him slightly. Her crimson eyes were wide and glistening – with tears?

"What will happen to the village?! The villagers?! The innocent people we fail to protect…?" Her face was so close to Kakashi's, but he made no move to part. He simply looked away from her anguished face, his eye downcast.

"Kurenai-san…" Gai said abruptly. His voice was hoarse and soft, from the lack of use. He didn't turn to face her, opting, instead, to stare straight ahead, so only half his face was visible to Kakashi and Kurenai. "There will be other youthful and strong ninjas to pro - …"

"What ninjas?!_Academy students_?!" Kurenai interjected hotly, teeth clenched tightly together. Her grip on Kakashi's vest didn't slacken. Gai fell silent for a moment.

"It's still our duty, as shinobi of the Leaf, to protect Konoha," Gai continued.

"I know that, Gai! But this is _suicide_!! You've seen what those Sound nins have done to the Mist village!"

"They'll probably evacuate the village - "

"What?! _Abandon_ Konoha?!"

Once again, Gai fell silent, and he stayed that way. Kurenai's head swiveled around to face Kakashi again, the close proximity between them never changing.

"How can you be so calm?!" the kunoichi rasped, her voice cracking slightly from her sobs. Tears streaked down her elegant face. Kakashi's single eye drifted over to look at the sobbing woman in front of him.

"Because, we're doing this for the village," he replied. His attention was slowly diverted to the dark sky peering down at them through a natural gap between the trees. "And because we know that Uzumaki Naruto is a powerful ninja of Konoha, who has surpassed Jiraiya, a Legendary Sannin."

"Uzumaki Naruto?" questioned Kurenai. Silver rivulets rolled silently down her cheeks.

"And Uchiha Sasuke, another powerful ninja of the Leaf, surpassing Orochimaru, another Legendary Sannin," continued Kakashi, a hint of pride entering his voice.

"And lastly, Haruno Sakura, an excellent kunoichi who has reached or even surpassed her own master, the Godaime and one of the Legendary Sannin," Kakashi ended his short speech with a content and slightly proud smile on his masked lips. "Frankly speaking, I think they're the next generation of Sannin. They'll totally thrash the Sound nins," Kakashi added casually. Gai turned around slowly. Kurenai's expression softened at the elite's attempt to ease his own despair.

"Kakashi," Gai began. "I'm very sorry that you couldn't say your farewells to Naruto-kun, Sasuke-san and Sakura-san…"

Kakashi shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm sure they'll find a note saying that in my diary or will or something…"

Kurenai looked at him disbelievingly. Kakashi's smile suddenly slid off his face, and he placed a gloved hand gently on the pair of smaller hands on his vest. But he didn't push them away.

"Whatever it is, Kurenai, Gai, we're Shinobi of Konohagakure, aren't we? It's a dream of every shinobi to die in battle, right?"

Gai turned fully to look at him. His eyes were slightly red. The green-clad man cracked a broad grin at Kakashi, teeth sparkling.

"Hai, my youthful rival!"

Kurenai nodded resolutely. Kakashi looked at their hands. Slowly, he gathered Kurenai's smaller hands in his larger ones, and set his gaze on the starless, night sky.

"Then we shall fight to the very end."

* * *

"This is so unfair!!" Naruto whined for the umpteenth time that day. He slumped onto his four-poster bed, his cute face going on full pout mode. Neji sighed, again. He shrugged his dress robes on, and checked his reflection one last time. 

"You look great, beautiful," Sasuke mocked the long-haired Hyuuga, who in turn scowled at the Sharingan wielder. Sasuke, having had ignored the whining blonde for the best part of the day, growled, "What's so unfair, dobe?"

"This! You get to take Sakura-chan!!" Naruto moaned, still pouting. Sasuke and Neji exchanged looks, and rolled their eyes simultaneously.

"I thought you're going with Ginny, Naruto," Ron asked suspiciously. His wand was aloft, trying to use the Severing Charm to take the embarrassing laces off his ancient dress robes. There was a warning look in his eyes.

"Well, yeah! But still…" Naruto trailed off. Neji checked his hair one last time.

"Alright then. I think we've taken long enough. Let's go."

* * *

"You look great, Sakura," Hermione said reassuringly to her currently self-conscious pink-haired friend. "Stop messing with your hair. Those ribbons are a work of art." 

Sakura fidgeted with her dress. It was in pale pink, and had intricate silver cherry blossom patterns along the waist, bringing out her hair and skin. The dress was simple but long; covering her feet, and it had a single, long slit from her right thigh to the ground.

Hermione eyed the slit for a while, looking doubtful. Sakura noticed as she strapped on her white stilettos.

"I have a reason for this. Trust me," Sakura said with a non-committable wave of her hand.

_Yeah. It'll be easier for me to grab a kunai and stab someone in the eye with it._

Hermione looked at her with her brows furrowed for a while, then she said, "Alright then. I'll head down first. Victor Krum'll be waiting for me at the Great Hall. See you, Sakura!"

"See you – _Victor Krum_?! Wha - ?" Sakura gaped after the witch's retreating figure. She closed her mouth and smirked. Checking her reflection on the full-length mirror for a last time, she adjusted the dress slightly, then grabbed her purse and headed downstairs to the common room.

* * *

"Aren't you supposed to be down at the Great Hall with that Cho girl?" Sasuke questioned monotonously, arms crossed over his chest. Neji shrugged. Sasuke and Neji both had decent dress robes on, black and brown respectively. Naruto's dress robes were dark blue, with a suspicious tint of orange to it. 

"I don't feel like talking to a constantly giggling girl right now," Neji replied simply.

"Then why'd you ask her?" asked Harry, sounding slightly annoyed.

"I didn't. She asked me," Neji said with a rolled of his near-white eyes. Harry blinked in surprise, irritation suddenly gone.

"Oh."

The five boys – Sasuke, Neji, Naruto, Harry and Ron – waited quietly in the Gryffindor common room. Both Sasuke and Neji looked calm and collected, leaning on opposite walls with one foot on it. Harry was settled quietly on the couch, while Ron and Naruto were fidgeting with their dress robes and pacing back and forth. Ginny had told Naruto that she'll be waiting in the Great Hall. Parvati told Harry that she'll be meeting him in the Great Hall, too, as she had to meet her Ravenclaw twin sister, Padma Patil, first.

And so the boys are now waiting for their dear pink-haired female friend.

"What's taking her so long…?" Sasuke wondered out loud.

Then they heard a sound, a soft clacking of heels against the stone stairs of the Girls' Dormitory. The boys looked towards the source of noise in unison.

And Haruno Sakura appeared, looking absolutely stunning in her strapless pink and silver dress, her pink bangs wrapped with silver ribbons, courtesy of Hermione, so that it never got out of line. There was a shy smile on her glossy lips as she sauntered towards the boys, who were positively ogling at her.

"Er… Good evening," she greeted, looking unsure now. She clearly thought that the boys were becoming deranged. Harry looked at her and cleared his throat.

"Good evening, Sakura," he smiled at her. "You look wonderful."

"Why, thank you! You look handsome yourself," Sakura grinned at him.

"M-mornin – I mean, good e-evening," stammered Ron. "You look… " The red head trailed off, not knowing any word to describe the kunoichi at the moment.

"Wow," Naruto finished for him. He suddenly whirled around to face Sasuke, who was trying hard to compose his face. "That's it, bastard! I'm getting a dance with Sakura-chan!!"

Sakura giggled, then looped and arm around Naruto's then the other around Sasuke's.

"Of course! I wouldn't dream of not dancing with one of my best friends when he's looking so dashing," Sakura teased the tall blonde. It was true; the dress robes made him look more matured, and his handsome, and still rather boyish, face looked absolutely gorgeous with his blonde hair, which looked similar to the Fourth Hokage's.

"Aw, Sakura-chan… You're so sweet…" Naruto chuckled. Sakura grinned, then let go of Naruto's arm. She turned to Sasuke.

"I think we should go now. The champions are supposed to be opening the ball or something…" Her sentence trailed off when she noticed Sasuke staring at her with a weird look on his face.

"What?" she blurted out after a moment of silence. Her face flushed; she was beginning to feel self-conscious again.

"Nothing," he replied, turning to stare straight ahead. Sakura blinked, looking confused, then shrugged slightly.

"Let's go then," Sasuke said. Sakura smiled up at him, leaning against him slightly as they walked towards the Great Hall, hand in hand.

"You know," Sasuke said abruptly, startling Sakura. They were trailing slightly behind a rambling Naruto and an irritated Neji. The surprised girl looked up at her partner. He rubbed soothing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. That, along with his addicting smell, caused the poor kunoichi to loose her train of thought.

Sasuke turned a fraction of an inch to look at her through the corner of his eyes with that damn near irresistible smirk on his gorgeous features.

"It's really not fair. No one should look _that_ tempting."

* * *

"Champions over here, please!" Professor McGonagall's voice called out. 

Sakura, Sasuke, Harry and Parvati said 'See you in a minute' to the rest, and walked forwards, the chattering crowd parting to let them through. Professor McGonagall, who was wearing dress robes of red tartan and had arranged a rather ugly wreath of thistles around the brim of her hat, told them to wait on one side of the Great Hall doors while everyone else went inside; they were to enter the Great Hall in procession when the rest of the student body had sat down. Fleur Delacour and Roger Davis stationed themselves nearest to the doors; Davis looking so stunned by his fortune of having Fleur as his partner. When Sakura and Sasuke walked past, however, his gaze drifted to the pink-haired girl.

Harry and Parvati had gaped at Hermione when they walked past her; she was arm in arm with Krum. Sakura winked at her as she and Sasuke passed.

Once everyone else was settled in the Hall, Professor McGonagall told the champions and their partners to get in line in pairs, and follow her. They did so, and everyone in the Great Hall applauded as they entered and started walking up towards a large round table at the top of the Hall, where the judges were sitting.

The walls of the Hall had all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling. The house tables had vanished; instead, there were about a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each sitting about a dozen people.

Sakura smiled softly as her grip on Sasuke's arm tightened. The fan-witches of Sasuke positively looked like dogs in heat. Sasuke tried hard not to flinch.

Dumbledore smiled happily as the champions approached the top table. Karkaroff wore an expression remarkably like Ron's when he saw Hermione and Krum together. Ludo Bagman, tonight in robes of bright purple with large yellow stars, was clapping as enthusiastically as any of the students; and Madame Maxime, who had changed her usual uniform of black satin for a flowing gown of lavender silk, was applauding them politely. But Mr Crouch was not there. The fifth seat at the table was occupied by Percy Weasley, the ambitious elder brother of Ron.

Once Krum, Hermione, Fleur and Davis had settled down, everyone stared expectantly at Sasuke, Sakura, Harry and Parvati. Percy shot Harry a pointed look, drawing out the empty chair next to him. Parvati caught the hint and dragged him towards the chairs.

And so that left the two remaining chairs directly opposite Dumbledore. Sasuke politely pulled out Sakura's chair for her, before sitting down on the chair next to hers, earning a surprised look from the kunoichi.

There was no food on the glittering golden plates, but small menus lying in front of each of them. Harry, Sasuke and Sakura picked up theirs uncertainly, and looked around – there were no waiters. Dumbledore, however, looked carefully at his menu, then said very clearly to his plate, "Pork chops!"

And pork chops appeared. Getting the idea, the rest of the table placed their orders with their plates, too. Sasuke and Sakura exchanged looks when they heard a faint sound of a certain blonde's voice exclaiming 'Ramen!'.

When everyone were engrossed in their own conversations, Sakura scooted slightly closer to Sasuke.

"I never knew you were that chivalrous," she muttered under her breath, her tone insultingly surprised. Sasuke grunted in that usual way of his.

"I'm an Uchiha, Sakura. I'm _forced_ to know these things," Sasuke replied with a slight jerk of his head. Sakura laughed softly, and both began to enjoy their food.

Once they've consumed their food and Dumbledore has cleared the tables and chairs with a flick of his wand, Parvati hissed, "Come on! We're supposed to dance!"

Harry shot a helpless look at Sakura and Sasuke, before being practically hauled towards the bright dance floor. Sasuke turned to look at his beautiful partner.

"Shall we?"

* * *

"I really… _really_… can't dance, Sasuke." 

"You're doing… well enough." Wince.

"I'm telling you - I think I just stepped on something."

"_Ow._ Damn. You weren't kidding when you said you couldn't dance."

Glare.

"How do you even walk in those heels?"

"I truly have no idea."

"It looks painful."

"It packs a good kick."

Twitch.

"You okay, Sasuke?"

Sigh. "Sakura. Just stand on my feet."

She obliged.

"OW! Not like that – ah yes… Jeez, I think I broke a bone."

Sakura glared at him, though it was hard, when he was looking so gorgeous. It would have been more natural to ogle.

"Well, this isn't that bad," breathed Sakura nervously as they revolved slowing on the spot to the mournful tune which was playing. Sasuke rolled his onyx eyes.

"Yeah, 'cause I'm doing the dancing," he replied, his voice playful. And that fact was hidden, thanks to the length of her dress, which could cover hers and Sasuke's feet as they danced. Sakura giggled softly. The top of her pink head tickled Sasuke's face.

She wrapped her slender arms around his neck and laid her head softly on his hard chest, as he moved his well-muscled arms to wrap around her small waist. Sasuke let his head rest on top of Sakura's, breathing in her appealing scent. His raven bangs mixed with her pink tresses.

Soon after, many more couples entered the dance floor, so the champions weren't the center of attention anymore.

They heard the final, quavering note from the bagpipe. The music stopped playing, applause filled the Hall once more, and Sasuke and Sakura pulled apart.

"Sakura-chaaann!!" called a loud voice. Sakura turned around and grinned.

"Naruto! I'm guessing you want your dance?"

"If the bastard doesn't mind," Naruto said, sticking out his tongue at the Uchiha, who in turn rolled his eyes. He almost reluctantly let go of Sakura and leaned down to kiss her on the cheek.

"I'll be near the door," he said. He shoved his hands into his pocket and disappeared into the crowd.

"Alright! Brightdown!" exclaimed Naruto when a very fast song started playing. Sakura caught Neji's eyes across the dance floor and both of them quirked their eyebrows at the familiar tune.

"This song is a small tribute to our Japanese transfer students! One of them mentioned they liked fast songs…" Dumbledore said, voice magically amplified. He smiled at Naruto and Sakura, then left to dance with Professor McGonagall.

"Come on, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said happily, and Sakura laughed as he pulled her to the center of the dance floor. Both ninjas started dancing exuberantly, grinning madly, and people around them were backing away in fear of injury. Sakura had no idea how she managed to keep up with Naruto's energetic dancing, but she did.

The song ended, and the people surrounding Naruto and Sakura applauded. Fred and George Weasley whistled and clapped. Sakura flushed as Naruto chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his blonde head. Both had been too caught up in their insane dancing that they didn't realize that some people had stopped dancing to watch them.

Naruto led her away from the dance floor as a much slower song started playing, both laughing breathlessly.

"Hey, Naruto," Sakura said giddily. Naruto grinned widely at her. "Where's Ginny? I thought she was with you?"

Naruto shrugged, looking like he didn't give a rat's fart about it. "I don't know. She went with that Dean guy, I think. Or was it Neville?" He shrugged again, then grinned at Sakura, who rolled her eyes and smiled back.

"Come on, I'll take you back to Sasuke," Naruto said, taking her hand and leading her towards the Hall doors, where a few number of tables were placed. Sure enough, said raven-haired boy was sitting in one of the chairs, scanning the crowd with his intense obsidian eyes, looking completely bored.

"Always suspicious, that boy," said Naruto, shaking his head in mock sympathy. "It's like he's afraid someone would pop up from behind the refreshments and pull out the stick in his ass."

"Don't let him hear you saying that," Sakura chided playfully, giggling. Naruto grinned at her.

"Oi, teme!" Naruto called out as they reached the Uchiha. Sasuke looked up. "Here! You can have your pretty girlfriend back!" The blonde stuck out his tongue at his rival. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, dobe," Sasuke snorted softly. Naruto turned to Sakura and kissed her slightly larger than normal forehead.

"Thanks for the dance, Sakura-chan!" Naruo winked, and he disappeared into the crowd. Sakura laughed and took a seat next to Sasuke, who in turn slung an arm across the back of Sakura's chair.

"I didn't know you could dance like that," Sasuke said, offering her a cup of pumpkin juice. Sakura drank thirstily; dancing with Naruto was one heck of an exercise. She shrugged.

"Me neither," she said. Sasuke laughed softly. Sakura smiled and leaned onto his lean form, one of his hands lightly stroking her pink locks.

"Sasuke?" Sakura asked. A soft tune was playing. She watched the couples dance slowly to the music.

"Hn."

"Where's Neji?" Sakura felt him shrug.

"He didn't say anything. But he _did_ tell me to enjoy myself." His tone was dripping with implications at the last sentence. Sakura looked up at him, her bottom lip sticking out slightly.

"Mou… Sasuke-kun…" she began. But he smirked. Then he leaned down and captured her cherry-glossed lips in his. Sakura's eyes widened slightly, surprised, then instantly closed as Sasuke dragged his tongue over her bottom lip and moved her a little until she practically sat on his lap. She parted her lips slightly and sighed, completely forgetting what she was about to say.

One thing was for sure, though.

Uchiha Sasuke has finally fallen for Haruno Sakura.

She was finally his.

And his only.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Okay okay. I know that was going beyond corny. I had to use Stephenie Meyer's 'Twilight' as a guide for some of the scenes. -.- 

And I know I kinda ignored Neji in this chap. Haha. Sorry, Neji-fans. I couldn't find a scene where Neji could play a bigger role. -sigh-

Btw, the song Naruto was talking about is 'Brightdown' by Nami Tamaki. It's a D Gray Man song, okay? Sheesh. I like the song. -.-

And review please! Frankly speaking, I think I kinda outdid myself in this chap. (I know I can't do kissing scenes! No need to rub it in!)

Weeelllll -shrug- whatever... Remember to review! (whoa... 573 reviews!)

Till next chapter! ;)


	16. Neji's Departure:Instincts & Protecting

**Author's Note:** Okay. First of all, I AM TERRIBLY SORRY FOR THE FREAKING LONG WAIT FOR MY NEXT CHAPTER!!! I really, REALLY am sorry. My most sincere apologies.

But trying to actually pay attention in school takes a toll on me; I can't keep my eyes open long enough to write a good chapter. Therefore, resulting in this pathetically short and lame chapter. I want to thank my wonderful readers for waiting for so effing long. This chapter would be a very big disappointment, I'm afraid. I was trying to add the four main characters and some shinobi back in Konoha into thisshort chapter.

Oh, and I've received some... er... comments that there's a certain author in who seems to be copying my fic. Personally, I think she is. I mean, seriously, it's like the author simply cut off a lot of sentences and added a few of her own words in. I'm not gonna do anything about that, 'cause I hate people who people's ideas without permission and I don't wanna waste my time on people like that. However, I don't even know if she really IS copying. She might've had the same ideas as me, written it out in the similar way I did for one or two scenes... or three...

Go check that fic out, will ya? (And tell me how freaking similar it is to mine.)

'_Midnight Dreams_' by _FDS-HinataUchiha_

_[Editted: Okay okay, Just in case; I apologise if the author truly did NOT copy from me. Well, it didn't SEEm like it in the first few chappies... _

I hope you enjoy this chapter (sorry about it being extremely short despite the long wait), cause I don't think I'll be posting anytime soon. :)))

* * *

YOU ARE MY FRIEND  
aa, ano hi yo yume, ima demo mada wasuretenain deshou?  
YOU ARE MY DREAM  
aa, hajimete bakka, kimi wa MY LONG LOST FRIEND  
whoa, ima tabidatsu yo! 

THANK YOU MY FRIEND  
aa, ano hi no koto, ima demo mada oboeteru kara  
YOU ARE MY DREAM  
aa, mo kondo koso momoru MY WAY  
whoa, THE DISTANCE_  
_

* * *

_What was he doing here? _

That thought repeated over and over again in Hyuuga Neji's mind like an old broken record. That question's been in his head ever since he witnessed that Uchiha and Sakura locking lips with such passion he couldn't take his eyes off them.

As he paced around in the empty dormitory with his arms crossed over his chest and his brows furrowed, he tried to figure out what was bothering him so much.

Everyone else was happily dancing away at the Great Hall, while he, the Hyuuga prodigy, was alone in this deserted room, sorting his confusing thoughts out. He'd kept up an unwavering smirk in front of Sasuke earlier, telling him to have fun that night.

Damn Neji and his selflessness.

_What was he doing here?_

He'd already taught Team 7 what was needed to be taught. That was his sole purpose for coming on this mission, wasn't it? Why was he still here? Why isn't he back at Konoha, with his own team? The nostalgia of being back home, with his friends and family…

Then again, something was holding him back from leaving. Something…_someone…_

Neji sat on the edge of his bed and cradled his head in his hands, elbows resting on his knees.

He was beginning to feel slightly left out every time Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke acted as a team. As Team 7.

He may seem composed and impassive on the outside, but really, on the inside, he didn't know where his place was in all this. He hated that feeling. He'd never been part of their team, and now that ... Sakura and Sasuke finally got together, things got a little harder for him.

Neji shook his head. No, no. He was happy for the both of them. Sakura finally got the happiness she wanted since she was a child, and Sasuke got the perfect woman for his second goal in life.

He was definitely happy for them… right?

Damn it, he wasn't even making any sense.

Neji took out his wand and twirled it slowly between his long fingers, pearl eyes looking blankly at the strip of wood. It had been kind of… fun though, being a wizard and all –

His twirling came to a halt.

No, he thought as he rested his chin on his palm, eyes taking in his surroundings.

He has no place here. His mission was complete. It was time to leave.

* * *

"S-sasuke… Stop it already… ha ha," Sakura breathed in between giggles, her face flushed. Sasuke smirked and licked her cheek lightly as they stumbled through the portrait hole. 

The two shinobi had decided to call it a night and left the Great Hall, with Sasuke doing things he usually wouldn't do to Sakura in public on the way back to the Gryffindor tower.

"Neji?" Sakura said, puzzled, as said man's figure emerged from the dark shadows of the common room. The pearl-eyed prodigy could only spare her a small glance before nodding curtly and brushing past the both of them, hands shoved in his pocket and his long chestnut hair swaying against his back pack.

A sense of dejavu hit Sakura as she stared at Neji's retreating back; it was just like that time…

"Neji, where are you going?" For some weird reason, tears were already making its way to her eyes.

"Hyuuga…" Sasuke warned, brows furrowing.

"I'm leaving," Neji replied, without missing a beat. He didn't look back, nor did he stop.

"Why?" Sakura asked softly, feeling somewhat afraid.

"Quit poking your nose into everyone's business, Haruno," the Hyuuga snapped uncharacteristically. Sakura flinched at the tone of his voice and his words.

"Don't you dare talk to her like that, Hyuuga!" Sasuke sneered, already taking a step towards the older boy. Sakura placed a hand on his arm, holding him back.

"Why're you leaving, Neji?" Sakura repeated firmly.

"Because I want to. My mission's complete. So there's nothing stopping me from returning to Konoha," Neji replied, finally halting with his back to them. Sasuke scowled.

"You can't leave," Sasuke stated suddenly. Neji finally spun around to face them with a furious glare on his face.

"Right! Like you can do anything about it!" he spat, teeth clenched tightly together.

"Maybe Sakura and I can't, but Kakashi won't allow it."

"Kakashi? Are you kidding me? That guy's late for everything! What the hell makes you think he'll be here for my farewell party?" Neji replied sarcastically, surprising all three of them with his retort.

_Farewell party…_

"Neji… Don't say that…" Sakura muttered softly, emerald eyes burning into his pearl ones as she regarded those words more than they were supposed to mean.

Neji's gaze shifted to meet hers for a split second, and his eyes drifted away to stare hard at the ground.

His arms moved almost agonizingly slow and clasped together to form a familiar hand seal.

Sasuke's and Sakura's eyes widened in unison, before the both of them leapt forward to make a last minute grab for the Hyuuga.

"NO! Neji!!"

"Hyuuga!"

"I'm sorry…"

Sakura stretched her fingers -

"But I have no place here…"

"Neji!! Don't - !!"

And he disappeared right in front of her face in a flurry of leaves.

'_Goodbye…'_

…

…

"H-he… left…" Sakura muttered, sitting with her legs tucked by her sides, looking at her hands in disbelief as leaves fell around her. She turned to Sasuke with glistening eyes.

"Sasuke! He left!"

"The war…" Sasuke began as he held Sakura close.

"He doesn't know about the war…"

"H-he was s-safe here…"

"…"

"Sasuke… Y-you d-don't think…?" Sakura said nervously, examining the expression on her partner's face. Sasuke looked at her with a slight tilt of his head.

Then his eyes narrowed and he shook his head; a picture of solemnity.

_I'm sorry_.

* * *

"Kakashi? Kakashi?! Damn it, OUT OF THE WAY!!" Kurenai rammed a kunai straight through a sound-nin's gut, blood spurting out in different direction, some of which splatter her already blood-coated face. 

Green and orange flashed across her vision, and she was suddenly thrown into the dirt a few feet away. Kurenai cursed and leapt to her feet swiftly just as Gai apologized and rejoined the battle he'd just been blasted out off.

Out of the corner of her eye, the kunoichi saw two sound-nins ganging up on her. She growled, a kunai sliding out of her sleeve and into her bandaged hand. She stabbed one in the chest, and threw him at his comrade, sending the both of them crashing into a tree.

Why was she searching for her silver-haired comrade? She had no idea. It was just a… _feeling…_

When Asuma had… died, she'd been torn to pieces, broken beyond fixing. Or so they thought. And then there was Kakashi. He wasn't exactly_Asuma,_ but he'd been able to show her that there were other things worth living for, worth _suffering_ for. He became a big part of her life.

Imagine how scared she got when out of a sudden, in the middle of a freaking war, she felt like a part of her was ripped off. Ninjas always trust their instincts.

The next thing she knew, she was practically flying through the battle field, leaping from one branch to the other, hair slapping her face.

She heard a groan of agony and looked down.

Kotetsu was there. And he was bleeding from his head, eyes half closed. The bandage across his nose was already soaked with blood, his clothes torn. Several broken bodies of the Sound ninjas lay sprawled around him, along with one or two Konoha ninjas.

There was a triumphant smirk on the smug face of the sound-nin who had his katana raised, ready to deliver the killing blow to the defeated Konoha shinobi.

Kurenai hesitated for a split second, before her brows furrowed together and she changed course, fist clenched and right foot out to smash the sound-nin's face.

She didn't know whether she'd lost any of her comrades or her friends.

It didn't matter anyway.

She had living ones to protect.

* * *

Naruto sighed dejectedly as he ambled along the deserted hallways, arms folded behind his head in a relaxed posture. 

It was his turn for the night to do guard duty. He was still wearing his dress robes so that it wouldn't look too suspicious if any teacher caught him. Not that it was possible, in the first place.

'_This is so lame…'_ Naruto thought. Then he added, as an afterthought, _'But that dance with Sakura-chan is stinkin' cool!'_

His whiskered face suddenly broke into a broad grin, breaking into a happy whistle abruptly.

Everything was going so smoothly, so perfectly.

It was almost too good to be true.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Okay people. 

I know Neji's departure is so freaking sudden, but one of my reviewers commented that he didn't seem to have a proper or important role in this fic, making him seem redundant after being ripped from Konoha and sent to Hogwarts only to do nothing. So I decided to just send Neji back, and figure out how to write his react when he returns home to a raging war.

That's it for this chapter. :)

Review, please? XD


	17. Decision:Clues and Hints

**Author's Note:** ... I'm not even gonna bother to explain what this chapter is about. Sorry for the long wait and the lousy-ness of this chapter.

Note: Chapter was done with zero inspiration on a rainy day.

Enjoy. :)

Oh ya, and I'm looking for something to beta. Surprise me, people.

_Editted: Yeah.. uh... I added in some extra points in Sakura's 'speech' about what they were. Hope this clears up the confusion._

* * *

YOU ARE MY FRIEND  
aa, ano hi yo yume, ima demo mada wasuretenain deshou?  
YOU ARE MY DREAM  
aa, hajimete bakka, kimi wa MY LONG LOST FRIEND  
whoa, ima tabidatsu yo! 

THANK YOU MY FRIEND  
aa, ano hi no koto, ima demo mada oboeteru kara  
YOU ARE MY DREAM  
aa, mo kondo koso momoru MY WAY  
whoa, THE DISTANCE_  
_

* * *

Harry, Hermione and Ron, still in their dress robes, walked silently next to each other back to the Gryffindor tower. Most of the other students have already left the Great Hall, therefore the trio decided to do the same. 

Harry looked around the hallway in which they were walking in. It was deserted. No talking portraits… No stray students…

"Hey, guys," Harry began, jade eyes lowering to stare in concentration at his dress shoes. Hermione and Ron looked at him expectantly.

"You know, Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto and Neji are a weird bunch. There was one night when I saw Sasuke and Sakura flying around in the middle of the night on brooms with speeds which could have easily beaten a Firebolt's. They were wearing weird clothes and all."

Ron stared at him with a weird look on his face. Hermione seemed to be thinking about something.

"Look, mate. They might've fancied a ride or something. Maybe the clothes are from the country's style?" he tried to explain, waving a hand nonchalantly.

"In the middle of the night? And the speed they were flying at…?" Harry pointed out bluntly.

"Probably a new version of the Firebolt or something…" came Ron's lame comeback. Harry glared lightly at him.

"I do think they're a little strange," Hermione said abruptly. Harry straightened up.

"You do, don't you? I mean, I don't have anything against them or anything, but still…"

"Yeah," Hermione slowly looked up to meet Harry's gaze, as if she was thinking deeply about something.

Her eyebrows furrowed and mouth set in a small frown, it was a look of someone analyzing a crime scene. Then it clicked.

Lips curling slightly around the edges, Hermione Granger looked at Harry Potter.

"It's like they're hiding something from us, isn't it, Harry?"

* * *

On the other side of the castle, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were settled in utter silence in the remote common room. The first mentioned ninja was fuming. 

The couple had just finished telling him the entire truth. About the war and Neji and everything they knew.

"I'm worried. About Kaka-sensei. He hasn't written to us for over three weeks," Sakura whispered almost inaudibly, staring at the crackling fire. She hugged her knees to her chest just as Sasuke lightly slung an arm comfortingly over her small shoulders.

"I'm sure he's fine. That ass can handle himself. Just as long as he has all that smut with him," Sasuke said, looking slightly disgusted as he mentioned Kakashi's X rated books. Sakura smiled gratefully at him before sobering up again.

They sat in more silence.

In a sudden, swift movement, Naruto had his head in his hands. Out of reflex, Sakura immediately appeared by his side, Sasuke following not long after.

"Naruto? Hey, you okay?" Sakura asked gently, a hand on his shoulder.

"I can't stand this!" Naruto snarled and straightened up suddenly, causing Sakura to yelp and jump back onto Sasuke. "I can't stand sitting here comfortably, while everyone else back home is… is… "

"Naruto…" Sakura whispered.

Naruto looked at his best friends, determination making his azure eyes look like chips of ice.

"Let's go. We're getting outta here. We're going to fight."

* * *

The ninja trio planned on leaving without anyone knowing, except, of course, the Headmaster himself. But things don't seem to go as planned. 

"UWAH!!!"

"Bloody h - !"

Sasuke and Sakura narrowly avoided crashing into Hermione and Harry, whereas Naruto and Ron collided head-on.

"What're you doing here?!" Sakura and Hermione exclaimed at the same time.

"We could ask you the same thing!" Sasuke and Harry replied simultaneously.

"That hurts!" Naruto and Ron whined, grabbing onto their poor throbbing heads. The other four glared in their direction.

"Blimey, what on earth are you people wearing?" Ron said, his nose wrinkling in disgust. Sasuke scowled at him.

He, Sakura and Naruto were decked in their full ninja attire. Sasuke still wore that outfit he wore when he joined Orochimaru. Despite looking a little strange and rather rape-able, he felt that it was a suitable attire for battle. Sakura wore that red tank top white a medic skirt and black shorts, knee-length combat boots tightened to the last knot. Naruto still had that black and orange jacket with the orange pants.

"It's… uh… fashion in our country?" Sakura answered uncertainly, mimicking Kakashi from that time in Madam Malkin's. Hey, it wasn't technically a lie. The wizards quirked an eyebrow in unison, obviously not believing them.

Sasuke sighed at the same time Sakura said, "Look… we… we have to leave, okay?"

Naruto was already grabbing onto Sasuke's arm followed by his shoulder to help him to stand up.

"Come on, guys," Sakura muttered, ready to speed off.

"Wait! You're hiding something from us!" Harry said loudly, almost yelling. "Why won't you tell us anything?!"

Sasuke froze. _That line…_

_'Why don't you ever tell me anything – "_

_'Why should I?!'_

"… What?"

Hermione, relieved that he actually hesitated, began to babble.

"Well, yeah! Harry mentioned at he saw you guys flying around at night at unimaginable speed in weird clothes and you guys never told us about yourselves properly, besides the fact that you guys are from Japan. I know this is rude and all, but what's with the marks on Naruto's cheeks anyway? And I saw how Sakura fought the dragon in the First Task and it's not something you see everyday."

By now, all three ninjas were silent, backs facing the wizards.

"… Well? What have you got to say for yourselves?" Harry said rather breathlessly.

Silence.

"Your… first clue…" Naruto's hand flashed across the air, a kunai was suddenly embedded into the stone floor at Harry's feet. Hermione stifled a gasp.

"Second clue." Sakura's right fist shot out and slammed onto the wall next to her, sending tremors down the entire corridor. Ron let out a muffled yelp.

Sasuke deliberately turned to look at them over his shoulder, eyes closed.

"Third." His eyes slowly opened to reveal his spinning, blood-red Sharingan.

"From all that we've shown you just now, you should be smart enough to not to try and stop us." Sasuke said, ignoring the stunned expressions of the wizards.

"Who… _What_ are you guys?" Harry questioned, fear making his voice falter.

"You shouldn't ask too many questions," Sasuke snapped. Naruto growled. Both boys ran off, Harry, Hermione and Ron barely seeing them move. Only Sakura was left now.

"Sakura… Please…" Hermione pleaded. The kunoichi sighed in defeat. Not bothering to look at them over her shoulder, she continued staring straight ahead, emerald eyes flat and cold.

"We… Sasuke, Naruto and I, were trained from young… to use weapons… go on missions… fight… survive… And as we get older and higher ranked, these missions get tougher and tougher, until there'd be a point where we have to… kill… to survive… In these kinds of missions, emotions are not allowed to get in the way. We are not to hesitate even as we deliver the killing blow. The three of us have gone through what most adults have not. We've wounded. We've killed. But I've healed. But my healing powers can be used for killing, which I sometimes, when I'm forced into a corner where the only way I could survive and come out alive was to lash out a fist and rip out his heart, have to use. We're killing machines; they tell us what to do, and we do it."

"N-no…" Ron uttered, taking a few steps away from the kunoichi. Hermione and Harry were apparently too petrified for words. Sakura continued,her voice straining to make sure that the wizards heard her loud and clear.

"Every single one of us, meaning to say, me, Sasuke, Naruto and my other friends back home, have a big responsibility to bear. We are what stands between our village and the dangers around it. The lives of the thousands of villagers... innocent people... They're in our hands. Hesitating in the midst of a battle with the enemy could mean a wavering loyalty towards the village and the enemy shall thus take advantage of you. It's the survival of the fittest. If you can't harm, you can never survive. _This_ is our way of life."

"Y-y-you… Y-you're a…" Harry finally choked out, raising a trembling finger in her direction. Sakura spared a glance at him over his shoulder. The steel in her eyes made Hermione whimper is fear, flinching as though her look itself had hit her in the gut.

Sakura's eyes narrowed and she looked down at the floor next to her.

"Yes, Harry. We're what you call, human weapons."

* * *

**Author's Note: **See what I mean? Got sick of Naruto, fell for Full Metal Alchemist. -sigh- (I think I got FullMetal and Naruto mixed somehow, in Sakura's speech about what they were.) 

Oh yeah. There's another thing I wanted to say...

ANYONE WHO REQUIRES A BETA-READER, I'M AT YOUR SERVICE!!!! I'm so bored nowadays, need some entertainment from you people. I PROMISE I'LL DO A GOOD JOB! XD

Ah..well... If this chap deserves it, review, please.


	18. Team 7's Prayer:Time and Laughter

**Author's Note:** Yo people. I'm terribly sorry for not updating for many months for this fic. I decided to update today because I didn't have anything to do and I'm bored crapless. I've been busy for my cca and things like that. Sorry for ignoring all your pleas to update my fic. -nervous laugh-

This chap is short and damn stupid and... and... and... ... uh...

DON'T KILL ME!!

* * *

Habataitara modorenai to itte  
Mezashita no wa aoi aoi ano sora  
Tsuki nuketara mitsukaru to shitte  
Furikiru hodo  
Aoi aoi ano sora  
Aoi aoi ano sora  
Aoi aoi ano sora

* * *

Hatake Kakashi tried to stifle the gasp of pain and shock when the katana ripped through his side, causing blood to splash across his enemy's clothes and demented face. He dropped to his knees, coughing up blood and clutching his side.

Lifeless, mismatched orbs gazed at the blood dripping slowly onto the ground.

His chakra was slowly depleting, and he was fighting mostly using Taijutsu now, not wanting to waste precious chakra on weaker ninjas.

His vision seemed to move sideways, until a sharp pain from his right told him that he had fallen to his side, his body feeling slightly numb.

He tried not to breath too hard; his broken ribs prodded his lungs painfully every time he took too deep a breath. His Sharingan eye was exhausted. His limbs were aching. His vision was fading.

The shadow of his enemy loomed over his defeated form.

An image of his three students suddenly flashed in his mind like a memory begging not to be forgotten.

'_Naruto… Sakura… Sasuke…'_

The blade of the katana was caught in the moonlight, causing it to glint mockingly over Kakashi's vulnerable body.

'_I haven't… said goodbye…'_

The blade swung down.

Overhead, lighting flashed.

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke gazed steadily into Dumbledore's blue eyes.

This would have been normal if it had been under any other normal circumstances. But having Sakura hold him up by a fistful of his collar as she stood on the coffee table so that she could be tall enough to lift him off the floor and Sasuke and Naruto holding a katana and kunai respectively to his neck was not, by any means, normal.

A muffled yell was heard from the corner of the room.

Oh yeah. And the ninjas somehow managed to bind and gag McGonagall, Snape and Trelawney together, just because the teachers tried to stop them from attacking the Headmaster.

Well. They were asking for it.

"Let us out. Now," Sakura said through gritted teeth, her fist clenching even tighter around the collar of his robes.

Again, under any normal circumstances, the ninjas could have just teleported out of the castle. However, _someone_ decided to do something with castle's magical property, not allowing them to teleport out.

Dumbledore clenched his teeth and frowned, shaking his head the slightest. Sakura shrieked in frustration, suddenly turning around and slamming him against the wall which was just an arm's length away from the table which she stood upon.

Sasuke did the Body Flicker technique and appeared next to Sakura with a slight breeze, floating on the tips of his foot for a split second before landing noiselessly on both feet.

"Disagree and this," Sasuke said impassively, flicking Dumbledore's wand in front of his face. "Goes."

Every wizards' eyes in the room widened, dumbstruck. Naruto grinned manically; quite unlike him.

"That's right old man; let us go and the piece of wood stays," Naruto said, his azure eyes were flickering red.

Dumbledore bowed his head. He looked up.

"Do I have a choic - ?"

"No," the trio replied monotonously.

Dumbledore frowned slightly. Then, sighing, he smiled and nodded.

_Go_.

* * *

"This Portkey will land you right on top of the Hokage tower," Dumbledore explained, holding up a Konoha headband and apparently in no hurry. The trio nodded curtly. The Headmaster nodded, eyes twinkling.

The three of them held onto the headband, Sakura holding the metal plate with Naruto and Sasuke on either side of her, holding the cloth.

"You have fifteen seconds until this Portkey activates." He said solemnly. He walked back and stood against the wall, watching the trio quietly.

_15…_

"Sakura-chan, Sasuke…" Naruto said suddenly. Said persons looked up at him.

_14…_

"I just wanted to say thanks for everything you guys have done for me, for being my friends no matter what, through thick and thin, rocks and crap," Naruto smiled, looking as though he was reminiscing something. Sakura laughed nervously under her breath.

_12…_

"What's this all of a sudden, Naruto?" Sakura asked, sounding like she didn't want to know the answer. Sasuke's gaze drifted to look outside the window, showing a view of the lake that extended across the horizon.

_11…_

"He's afraid we won't make it through," Sasuke said impassively, though there was some kind of under lining beneath his words. That single comment made Sakura break down.

_10…_

"No we're not! We'll make it through! Everyone will come out of it safe! We'll all be together again, with Kakashi-sensei and Ino and Hinata and all the others! We'll be - !"

_9…_

"Sakura! Be logical! This is war! There _will_ be loses and there _will_ be people we won't ever get to see again - !" Sasuke suddenly stopped speaking, the fire behind his onyx eyes suddenly extinguished and softened when he realized what he just said and the expression on Sakura's face.

_8…_

"I'm sorry. That was harsh and rude," Sasuke said softly, bringing his free arm up to bring Sakura into a single-arm hug. She sniffed and buried her face on his bare chest which his open-chest shirt allowed.

_7…_

"But it's the reality of war, Sakura. I know it. You know it. There's no point in denying it," Sasuke said, in a soft and comforting voice, resting his chin on her head. Naruto clenched his fist.

_6…_

And suddenly, there was only so much time left to them. Like everything was moving so fast, and they couldn't move, couldn't do a thing about it. Like life was gone before they even learned to live it. It wasn't fair, was it?

Sakura pulled herself away from Sasuke.

"Let's pray," she said with a small smile.

_5…_

Surprisingly, both boys obliged. They put their free fists on top of the Konoha headband between them. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura closed their eyes and bowed their heads in unison, all in silent prayer.

_4…_

Fight for Konoha, for their friends and families, for the balance of the world. It was all they could do. Sacrifices have to be made, and this was one of them.

_3…_

"Promise me, though. We'll see each other again before any of us… goes," Sakura said, her voice cracking at the last part. The other two boys nodded and smiled, not looking up or opening their eyes.

"Promise."

_2…_

"I'm really… really… glad we became a team," Sakura said softly, not looking up. Her shoulders were shaking from her suppressed sobs.

"So am I," Naruto replied, also not looking up.

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Sasuke mumbled.

All three laughed, heads bowed and eyes closed.

_1…_

Tears splashed onto the Konoha headband, and suddenly the trio was gone, leaving behind the ghost of their laughter.

Dumbledore had a small smile on his face, blue eyes glistening.

He would never forget that image. He didn't know what was so significant about it, though.

Was it the tears streaking down all three of their smiling faces as they prayed? Or was it just their posture, the way they just seem to blend into one another, the girl being the centre, dark and light on either sides of her? Or maybe it's the strong bonds of friendship that they shared, something that even war cannot severe or break. Dumbledore wasn't sure.

But, as he closed the door of the office behind him, he was sure they would pull through together. They were tough, and Dumbledore knew it.

He chuckled under his breath as he walked down the halls of Hogwarts. He sure would miss those meddling ninja kids.

Back in the office, their laughter lingered, and then slowly began to blend into the silence of history.

* * *

**Preview of next chapter:**

_Remnants of tears! Standing proud and tall on the Hokage tower, Team 7 looks upon the chaos that has erupted in their village with fire raging behind their eyes! _

_Sasuke grinned maliciously, blood lust beneath his Sharingan eyes, unsheathing his Kusanagi swiftly as the trio walked onwards._

_"Let's do this."_

* * *

**Author's Note: **That was utter shit, I tell you. Sigh. I'm such a disgrace. I apologise yet again. I am terribly terribly sorry. I hope against all hope that this chapter is decent enough. I hope adding a very -very- short preview will make you guys forgive me just a little. Just a little.

That's all for now. I hope I can update a little faster, but I have exams coming. So I'll have to see to it.

'Til next chapter!

* * *


	19. Important Note from Yours Truly

**NOTE:** _This is NOT a chapter._

_I repeat._

_THIS IS NOT A CHAPTER._

* * *

I'm typing this -very very very not so important- Author's Note to inform you guys, my dear readers, that I'm RE-WRITING the ENTIRE fic.

Yes. I went insane on RedBull one day and somehow ended up typing out a different version of the first chapter, and I kind of liked it better than the original one. No worries, the plot may somehow remain the same... or not. I just changed certain areas were I deem appropriate. Meaning, I thought there was too much cheese and corn in my fic, so I decided to burn 'em all. Or most of it. This fic needed major tweaking. -.-

The plot line might change slightly, or drastically. It actually depends on my mood and your reviews. :)

I dunno, some of you might find the newer one better, because I definitely did. I made the characters more in-character, such as Sasuke, whom I made less blush-y and more Mr Darcy, just not so intense and ... ancient. And Sakura, whom I made more GIRL and yet at the same time, tougher. Not too tough though. Just feisty kinda tough. And also, Naruto, whom I made ME. No, seriously. Anything stupid that he does in this fic would probably be based on real-life experience.

More twisted sense of humour from yours truly.

And also, I'm not sure if I should put Neji in this fic...

By the way, there's a surprise for the Triwizard Ball, which isn't exactly a Triwizard Ball anymore now. Muahaha. It still involves dancing though.

I've finished re-typing the first two and a half chapters, but I've only editted the first chap.

I need to know, do you wonderful readers want me to REPLACE the original chapters, or just post the re-typed ones AFTER this Author's Note? ... The second option's kinda weird, but the heck.

Anyways. To those I happen to have given false hope that this might be a new chapter, apologies. I'm in the middle of End of Year exams right now, so I don't have the luxury of time and peace to write new chapters. Yet. The damn exams are gonna end in a week or so, though. So... hooray.

Another question, do you guys want the re-written chapters to be posted one by one, or all at one go? Because if it's one at a time, it'll take forever, trust me.

So... If you guys're planning to actually review this thing, I suggest you answer these in your reviews:

- Should I put Hyuuga Neji in the story?

- Should I REPLACE the original chapters or just post the re-typed ones AFTER this Author's Note?

- Do you want the re-written chapters to be posted one at a time, or all at one go (it'll take forever)?

That is all for now. I'm really sorry if I gave any of you false hopes. -.-

But if over... I dunno... five, ten of you want the first chapter up, I'll post it by tomorrow.

Thanks for sticking through with my story. :)

Kin.

P.S: Frankly speaking, Harry Potter is _so_ overrated. -.- It's just easy and fun to write about ninjas kicking magical butts.


	20. The Mission:Harry Potter 2

**Author's Note:** Yo. Okay. Here's the first re-written chapter of this fic. If you haven't, for some weird reason, read the A/N in the previous chapter, I'll just inform you that I went completely nuts after drinking RedBull and somehow ended up typing out a newer version which I somehow prefer to the older one, 'cause there's less cheese and corn... I think.

The beginning's a wee bit boring, but I found it better than the older one. So... what the heck.

I decided to post the re-written ones after the A/N and one by one. Sorry if it's inconvenient for any of you readers.

I hope it's better than the previous version. :)

* * *

-

Chapter 1

-

-

_The Mission : Harry Potter_

-

-

-

Team 7 had always been a dynamic group, always in complete synchronization and believed to be the personification of power, precision and teamwork in the battlefield. Out of it, however, was a completely different story.

When Hatake Kakashi had poofed in front of his only female student while she was fumbling around for her house keys and balancing three grocery bags at the same time to tell her that Team 7 had an important mission and were to report in the Hokage's office in 15 minutes, Sakura had ditched her groceries with Kakashi and tossed her keys to him carelessly before dutifully running off to find her team mates, sticking out her tongue and saluting apologetically at her disgruntled ex-teacher over her shoulder as she did so.

And also, when Haruno Sakura leapt down from Uchiha Sasuke's roof and landed on the window ledge of his bedroom, she placed a hand on her knee and tapped the glass lightly, to which the prodigy opened and greeted her with slightly wet hair and a towel upon it, and Sakura grinning widely as she told the raven-haired male that they had a mission. No sooner than that was said, Sasuke tossed his damp towel onto his bed, grabbed a tomato, and sped off together with Sakura, jumping from roof to roof to find their remaining blonde team mate. Sasuke was desperately running a hand through his hair hoping that the natural wind would dry it quickly and that it wouldn't look like something just died and combusted simultaneously on his handsome head.

All that led to the current event, in which Sakura's banging on Uzumaki Naruto's door with Sasuke standing slightly behind her, a hand stuffed casually in his pocket while he munches on his tomato, looking content.

"Come ON Naruto! OPEN UP!!" Sakura hollered, banging her fists onto the door continuously, which successfully created many pretty dents on it. Sasuke looked indifferent as he finally finished his tomato and stuffed his now-free hand into his other pocket.

There was some noisy shuffling and thudding on the other side of the door before it was practically torn off its hinges by a fuming Naruto. He was holding a cup of instant ramen in one hand while the other held a carton of milk. Expired milk.

Sasuke decided to be an ass and not point it out.

"What the he - Hey-y-y Sakura-chaaan!" Naruto immediately did a double-take when he noticed that it was his pink-haired crush, his scowl sliding off his face and was replaced by a sheepish expression. Sakura scowled and Sasuke looked bemused.

"Took you long enough. Get dressed. We have a mission."

Which, of course, led to Naruto rushing about his house trying to find his signature bright orange jacket, trying to stuff his feet into his ninja sandals in two seconds, and subsequently doing a face-plant on the ground after tripping on nothing.

So much for being a ninja.

-

-

"Alright Team Seven, it's been a long time since you've been assigned to any missions together, so I've decided to let you handle the latest request by an old friend of mine," Tsunade began after the usual banter between her and Naruto. She scrutinized the three members of Team seven over the top of her clasped hands. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke sure had grown, physically and mentally, over the five years since they've become a team. Sakura was now the shortest of the three instead of Naruto, who was actually as tall as Sasuke.

All of them were now 14, and Chuunins, having passed the test with flying colours. Literally. Naruto and Sakura had flat-out refused to take the Chuunin exams without Sasuke, and when he finally returned willingly about a year ago, after killing Orochimaru but with Itachi still on the run, they took it as a team after Sasuke was free from probation.

"Albus Dumbledore, a friend of mine, is the headmaster of a school for witchcraft and wizardry. There's this boy called Harry- something. Anyway, this kid needs protecting from some evil guy called Voldemort, who's after his head 'cause he's the only one known to have survived the killing curse, from Voldemort himself, no less, and at such a young age, to boot."

There was a long, dazed silence after that.

"Uh, yeah. Real funny baa-chan. So what's the real mission?" Naruto said, flapping his hand slightly and then suddenly becoming eager, looking around excitedly as though that would reveal their mission. The Fifth Hokage growled slightly under her breath.

"That _was_ your mission, you brat," the busty blonde said, pinching the bridge of her nose and closing her hazel eyes, signaling that a headache was about to rear its swirly head.

"No, seriously? Like, a _school_? Of freaking _witchcraft_ and _wizardry_?" Naruto continued incredulously, completely oblivious to the dangerous aura which now surrounded Tsunade.

"Why're you talking like that?" Sakura asked him with a weird expression on her face. Sasuke sighed.

"This mission is of a A-rank, and it'll roughly take a year, give or take a month or two," Tsunade said, ignoring the other loud blonde. Sakura's jaw dropped in surprise while Sasuke raised an eyebrow; his version of faint surprise. Naruto, on the other hand...

"WHAT?! Have you gone MENTAL?! Are you SENILE, baa-chan?! School for a stinkin' _year_?!"

Sure, Naruto loved missions, but even he had limitations.

"SHUT UP!" the blonde woman shouted just as Sasuke punched him, calmly, square in the jaw with his eyes closed in mild irritation, and Sakura whacked the back of his blond head.

"Thank you, Sakura, Uchiha," Tsunade heaved a sigh, sounding exhausted. She'd done a lot of serious thinking about this mission, having to pick the most appropriate team to do the job.

"B-but, why us, Shishou? I mean, it sounds like a tough mission that Chuunins like us won't be able to handle. Not for an entire year, anyway," Sakura asked, mumbling the last bit.

"He requested for five of my best ninjas I could spare at the moment. The village needs more ninjas at this point of time, with the Grass allying with the Sound and Cloud to have a war against us and Sand. Although we do have allies like the Mist and Wave, I'm afraid it might not be enough. The rest of Rookie 9 are needed here, and frankly speaking, I can't put my trust in Team Gai for an entire year. I mean, Hyuuga and that weapon girl I can trust, but not Gai and that other kid with bushy eyebrows. So, I decided that I could spare a three-man team, strong in teamwork, strength, secrecy, speed and intelligence. And you guys make the cut."

Naruto's, Sakura's and Sasuke's eyes gleamed with pride.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama."

"What's the main objective of the mission, Hokage-sama?" Sasuke asked in his usual monotone, getting right down to business.

"All of you are to protect the school and its students. But more importantly, Harry - something - _okay seriously what the heck is his name?!_ Anyway, when Voldemort strikes, you are to… _assist_ Harry in eliminating Voldemort."

"Why can't we just kill that Voldy guy ourselves?" Naruto inquired.

"If that was the case, I wouldn't have told you to protect Harry, now would I? I would have just told you to kill off a dangerous man named Voldemort. No, you can't kill him off, because that's _Harry's_ goal. He wants to _avenge his parents_," Tsunade explained, her hazel eyes darting towards the dark and silent male next to Sakura. Sasuke clenched his jaw and fists, head lowering slightly, allowing his bangs to cover his gorgeous onyx eyes. Sakura gently brushed her fingers against his wrist in a comforting gesture without looking up at him. Sasuke almost instantly relaxed.

"You three will be posing as students in the school. Gather as much information as possible about Voldemort and his allies. It'll be very much needed in order to defeat him. And also, the closer you get to Harry, the better and easier it is for you to protect him."

Team seven nodded.

"Oh, and there is a competition called the Triwizard Tournament this year," Tsunade added. She chuckled at the confused looks of her favourite team before launching into a long explanation.

"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago, as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of witchcraft and wizardry – Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took in turns to host the Tournament every five years. And this year, it's hosted at Hogwarts. People will be coming in and it's easy to let something slip. So I just want to advise you three to be a little more cautious. Dumbledore's paying a lot for this mission. All your clothes and necessities will be paid by the village."

The trio nodded, Naruto practically vibrating from excitement. Sakura realized something and voiced it out.

"European? Ano, we can't speak English…" she trailed off, looking at her feet. Naruto paused and Sasuke pondered on it for a moment before nodding also.

Tsunade sighed. She stood up and walked around her desk to stand between her pink-haired student and the Uchiha, all the time forming a rapid succession of hand seals.

Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke looked at her in confusion.

Suddenly Tsunade halted and muttered something under her breath, before placing a hand on Sakura's and Sasuke's forehead, much to his dismay.

There was a few moments of awkward silence as nothing happened. Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest, closing his eyes in annoyance, and Sakura was looking a little freaked out. Naruto was just staring in anticipation.

Then she dropped her hands and placed one on Naruto's forehead, who made a startled sound of protest.

"All done!" Tsunade exclaimed, beaming at the members of Team 7, who looked at her blankly.

"Nothing happened," Sasuke said, quirking a dark eyebrow and pointing out the obvious. The Godaime smirked. Naruto's and Sakura's heads swiveled to look at their team mate in shock.

"What?" Sasuke asked, looking at his team mates with his eyebrows furrowed. Then he realised he was talking in freaking English.

"You're talking in Eng - No no! _We're_ talking in English!!" Naruto exclaimed gleefully, and started rambling about something related to ramen, Sakura-chan and cheese before Sakura bopped him on the head.

"Okay, now that that's all settled, I'll give you fifteen minutes to pack up some training clothes and necessities. I don't think they sell ninja training clothes in the wizarding world, now do they? After that, meet me back here with all your things. Understood?" Tsunade said, her tone firm.

The three teens stood at attention and saluted her.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama!!"

-

-

"All of you back?" Tsunade did a quick head count which told her that all of them were indeed there. She took out something from her drawer; a Konoha headband.

"Hold on to this," she ordered. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke obliged despite being confused.

"Okay then. Kakashi will be waiting for you guys at the other end. He'll explain about the Quidditch World Cup. We won't be seeing each other for a long time, maybe a few times on important meetings. So, for now, I would like to say good bye and _stay safe_." Tsunade smiled solemnly. Before they could reply, they felt a tug at their navels and were gone from the ridiculously busty blonde's sight.

"I don't want to lose three of my potentially best ninjas…" she muttered as she stared at the spot where the Konoha trio just disappeared from, and frowned.

-

-

_"Will they... come back?"_

* * *

**Author's Note:** I was thinking of a framed puzzle of Sasuke a friend of mine got for me today as a freakishly early birthday present when I typed 'puzzled expressions'.

I think half my brain died after the first mathematics paper today. -.-

Till next chap.


	21. Important Note, Again

**Author's Note**

THIS IS NOT A CHAPTER.

This Note is to inform you guys that I decided to post the re-written version of this fic as a completely new story. I actually even changed the title to _'One's a Wizard, Two's a Ninja'_. Go check it out in my profile page. :)

Don't even ask, I didn't know what else to put there. I decided to completely change the plot line, since I didn't really like where the current one was going. -.-

Come to think of it, the fic could actually be considered done, as mentioned by one of my reviewers. It'll be so cool if it just ended there.

Hope you guys understand.

Rock on.

Kin.


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